It claims they only turn to health services when "desperate" and that more attention needs to be focused on their needs when planning health care.

"Inequalities in health care can mean boys are overlooked because of their gender," said a spokeswoman for the government-funded Health Development Agency (HDA), which commissioned the report.

She said: "They have to be very bad before they go to the doctor.

"The problem is compounded because it is not cool to talk about health problems among young men like it is for women."

The report - Boys and Young Men's Health - provides a snapshot of the services available to boys and young men aged between 11 and 25 and highlights "gaps" in existing services.

Better access

The impact of male characteristics on men's health, such as a reluctance to seek help for fear of appearing weak, are rarely considered, according to the report.

It found that at a fundamental level, there was no agreed definition of what constitutes men's health, across a range of projects.

They suggest phone lines or drop-in centres should be set up to make access to services easier.