It's hard to say what inspires less enthusiasm – pap smears for women or prostate exams for men.

But it seems that women are better about getting their tests regularly. Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited the doctor within the past year, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

That increases the chance that illnesses are going untreated. Men are 1.5 times more likely than women to die from heart disease and cancer.

To raise awareness about check-ups, the federal healthcare agency has teamed up with The Advertising Council on an ad campaign targeted at middle-aged men, who face increasing risks of prostate and colorectal cancer. Coming to a television set near you is the "Real Men Wear Gowns" commercial.

The ad appears to appeal to men's sense of responsibility to their families. Stay healthy and you can watch your kid take his first bike ride. Get tested and walk your daughter down the aisle.

A different kind of ad for over-40 males. Who else wants "Viva Viagra" to stop running through their heads?

E-mail this entry to a friend