Men experience significant health inequalities in the UK. Around one in five men will not live to reach retirement age, and many serious conditions are diagnosed late because men are less likely to seek medical advice early, particularly for mental, sexual, or reproductive health concerns.

Primary care sits at the centre of this challenge. Most men will only discuss sensitive issues with their GP, making general practice the critical setting for earlier detection, prevention, and intervention.

At the same time, several major trends are reshaping men’s health. Sperm counts have fallen by around 50% globally over the past 50 years, and around 90% of initial subfertility consultations occur in primary care. This means GPs increasingly need the knowledge and confidence to begin appropriate assessment, initiate investigations, and guide patients through early management and referral pathways.

The RCGP One Day Essentials Men’s health conference is designed to support clinicians in managing the conditions that commonly present in practice but are often under-recognised or difficult to navigate. Through practical teaching and case-based discussion, expert speakers will provide clear frameworks for assessment and management.

More than 2000 clinicians attended last year’s conference, reflecting the growing demand for practical education in this area.

All live One Day Essentials conferences (ODEs) are free and available exclusively to RCGP members. Check your diary, register to attend, or if you can’t make it access the content on REWIND. You can catch up on all the recordings and presentation slides for up to nine months afterwards, and you can register at any point during this time.

Note: we endeavour to upload content as quickly as possible after the conference; this typically takes up to two weeks.

Topics include:

  • Men and mental health
  • Testosterone-related health issues
  • Genital cancers
  • Prostatitis and genital infections, including STIs
  • Male fertility
  • Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)
  • Erectile dysfunction (ED)

Learning objectives:

  • Improve confidence in recognising and managing men’s mental health presentations in primary care.
  • Develop a structured approach to testosterone-related health issues, including investigation and management pathways.
  • Recognise symptoms and referral pathways for genital cancers, including testicular and penile malignancies.
  • Understand the diagnosis and management of prostatitis and genital infections, including sexually transmitted infections.
  • Learn how to begin male fertility assessment in primary care, including early investigations and referral thresholds.
  • Review evidence-based approaches to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
  • Explore causes and treatment pathways for erectile dysfunction, including physical and psychological contributors.

Conference chair:

Dr Anand Patel, GP Partner, Secretary to the Primary Care Testosterone Group and a Trustee of the Sexual Advice Association