Father's Day Health Check: 5 Screenings Every Dad in Toronto Should Schedule

Why Dads Are the Worst at Going to the Doctor

The statistics are stubborn and consistent. Canadian men are significantly less likely than women to visit a healthcare provider for preventive care, and the gap widens after age 30. According to the Canadian Men's Health Foundation, nearly 70% of men's health problems are preventable, yet men are more likely to wait until symptoms become impossible to ignore before booking an appointment. If you're a dad, the irony is sharp. You'd rush your kid to the clinic for a persistent cough, but you'll white-knuckle through months of fatigue, heartburn, or that nagging knee pain without mentioning it to anyone.

Part of the problem is access. Thousands of Toronto residents don't have a family doctor, and walk-in clinics rarely offer the kind of thorough, preventive screening that catches problems before they escalate. Part of it is cultural. Men are socialized to tough things out. And part of it is simply time. Between work, school pickups, soccer practice, and whatever else fills a dad's week, your own health slides to the bottom of the list. This Father's Day, consider flipping that priority, even just once.

The good news is that a comprehensive men's health screening doesn't require a full day off work. A few targeted tests, paired with an honest conversation with your provider, can give you a clear picture of where you stand. That clarity is the best gift your family could get from you.

5 Health Screenings Every Dad Should Schedule

1. Blood Pressure Check

High blood pressure is called a silent killer for a reason. It rarely causes obvious symptoms, but over time it damages your heart, kidneys, brain, and blood vessels. Nearly one in four Canadian men has high blood pressure, and many don't know it. A simple cuff reading during an appointment takes about two minutes and can flag a problem that, left untreated, dramatically increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you're over 40, or you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, regular monitoring is essential. Even men in their 30s should get a baseline reading at their annual checkup.

2. Bloodwork Panel (Cholesterol, Blood Sugar, and More)

A routine blood panel reveals a surprising amount about your health. Your provider will typically check your lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides), fasting blood glucose or HbA1c for diabetes risk, kidney function markers, and liver enzymes. For men over 40, these numbers are some of the most important data points in preventive health. Early detection of elevated cholesterol or pre-diabetes means you can often reverse the trend with lifestyle changes alone, long before medication becomes necessary.

At Care& Family Health, bloodwork can be done on-premise at both our Yorkville and Lawrence Park locations, which means you don't need to make a separate trip to an outside lab. Your results flow directly to your Men's Health provider through the Care& app, so you can review them together at your follow-up.

3. Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Canadian men, but it's also one of the most preventable cancers when caught early. Ontario's screening guidelines recommend that average-risk adults begin screening at age 50 with a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every two years. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, your Nurse Practitioner may recommend starting earlier. The FIT is a simple at-home stool test. It's quick, non-invasive, and covered by OHIP when ordered by your provider. If results are abnormal, you'll be referred for a colonoscopy.

4. Mental Health and Mood Check-In

This one doesn't involve a needle or a lab requisition, but it might be the most important screening on the list. Depression, anxiety, and burnout affect men at higher rates than most people assume. Men are less likely to report mental health symptoms and far less likely to seek help. Canadian data shows that men account for roughly 75% of deaths by suicide. A mental health check-in during your annual visit gives your NP a chance to ask the right questions in a confidential, judgment-free setting. If something's off, whether it's persistent low mood, trouble sleeping, irritability, or loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, your provider can help you figure out next steps. That might mean a referral, therapy, lifestyle strategies, or medication. It starts with the conversation.

5. STI Screening and Sexual Health Review

Sexual health doesn't stop being relevant once you're a dad. STI rates in Ontario have been climbing across all age groups, including men in long-term relationships. A Sexual Health screening typically includes bloodwork for HIV and syphilis plus urine or swab testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Your Nurse Practitioner can also discuss erectile function, low libido, testosterone concerns, and prostate health. These are topics many men avoid out of embarrassment, but your NP has heard it all and won't blink. If you're over 50, a conversation about prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing may also be appropriate, though guidelines have evolved and the decision should be individualized based on your risk factors.

What to Expect at a Men's Health Checkup

If it's been a while since your last visit to a healthcare provider, you might not know what a modern men's health checkup actually looks like. It's more than just stepping on a scale and having someone listen to your chest. A thorough preventive visit typically starts with a review of your personal and family medical history. Your NP will ask about your lifestyle, including diet, exercise, sleep, alcohol use, and stress levels. They'll take your vitals, examine you, and order any relevant bloodwork or screening tests based on your age and risk profile.

What sets a good checkup apart is the conversation. When your provider has enough time to actually listen, you're more likely to bring up the things that have been on your mind. That weird mole on your back. The snoring your partner keeps complaining about. The fact that you've been feeling run down since November. These details matter, and they're the kind of thing that gets missed in a rushed five-minute appointment. At Care&, your Nurse Practitioner is the same person every visit, so they know your history and can track changes over time. That continuity is what turns a single checkup into genuine preventive care.

If you take medications, bring a current list. If you have recent bloodwork from another provider, bring that too. And if you're nervous, that's completely normal. Your provider's job is to make the experience comfortable and productive, not stressful.

When to See Your Nurse Practitioner

You don't need to wait for something to feel wrong. The entire point of preventive screening is to catch problems before symptoms appear. That said, some signs warrant a visit sooner rather than later. Unexplained weight loss, persistent fatigue, changes in bowel habits, blood in your urine or stool, chest discomfort with exertion, and a lump or growth that wasn't there before are all reasons to see your provider promptly.

If you're in Ontario and have a family doctor through OHIP, you can absolutely request these screenings there. But many Toronto men are on years-long waitlists for a family doctor, or find that their current provider doesn't have the appointment availability for a thorough preventive visit. That's where a Family Practice like Care& fills the gap. Care&'s membership model (starting at $450+HST per year for unlimited visits) isn't covered by OHIP, but it gives you a dedicated Nurse Practitioner, on-premise lab work, and appointments that actually have room for the conversation. You can see the full breakdown on the Membership Pricing page.

Whether you go through OHIP or a membership clinic, the important thing is that you go. Your family is counting on you to be around for a long time. Acting on that isn't weakness. It's the most responsible thing you can do.

Frequently Asked Questions