Men's Health Awareness

A topic often undermined is men’s health. June is Men’s Health Awareness month. Men’s

Health Awareness month is a month in which there is a focus on men’s health. It has been hosted

by the Men’s Health Network since 1992.” Men’s Health Month is an annual observance aimed

at raising awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and

treatment of disease among men and boys” (Unicity Healthcare). It is proven that men die

almost five years earlier than women because they are hesitant to go to the doctor. The

objective of Men’s Health Month is to bring awareness of preventable health problems and

encourage the early detection of diseases among men. There is a big focus on the health of male

seniors in order to live longer and have the optimal life. Health problems like breast cancer are

often talked about, which is a good thing to bring importance to, but it is also important to bring

awareness to men’s health issues. “When it comes to prevention and early detection, men's health

often takes a back seat to women's health” (“The Importance of Men’s Health”). The health of

men is often undermined because it is perceived that men don’t take proper care of themselves.

In fact, men’s health is often overlooked before men don’t have all the information and

knowledge on how to properly take care of themselves. Most men don’t go to the doctor as often

as they should be. An article over Men’s Health Month states, “...Men are more reluctant to go to

the doctor, according to menshealthmonth.org” (Unicity Healthcare). Bringing awareness to men

about the importance of going to the doctor and getting essential checkups and tests is crucial for

the health of men. A men’s health issue that needs more attention is prostate cancer. Prostate

cancer occurs in one out of every seven men. Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate

gland. “The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that

nourishes and transports sperm” (“Prostate Cancer”). Some types of prostate cancer grow slowly

and are restricted to the prostate gland, while other types are aggressive and spread to other parts

of the body. Bringing awareness to testing for prostate cancer is very important to me especially

because my dad had prostate cancer. He is a survivor of prostate cancer, but the idea of losing

him was terrifying. That’s why it is so important for men to get tested for prostate cancer because

finding cancer at the earliest stage is crucial for treatment and survival. There are many other

issues that show a huge concern for men’s health. A common one right now is vaping. Vaping is

playing a big role in the destruction of the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system.

Patient Talk Podcast states, “The reality is that it poses new health risks, including chemicals like

diacetyl that can cause lung cancers and serious lung injuries, and paradoxically it's encouraged

younger generations to try smoking” (Brady). The younger generation is being targeted by

vaping industries, which in the long run deteriorates the health of men. We need to end the

vaping campaigns targeting the younger generation to reduce added health issues in men.

Teaching younger boys the importance of men’s health is crucial for starting a chain of

awareness for men’s health. Getting boys into the routine of going to the doctor and getting

checkups will lead to a lifetime of knowledge and optimal health. The future starts with the

younger generations, so let’s start off the right way with the proper understanding of men’s

health. The best way to start promoting the health of men is to get boys into a routine of going to

the doctor at a young age. Encouragement of routine checkups is not as common for men as it is

for women, so getting boys to go at a young age will hopefully carry on throughout their life.

The most important thing about Men’s Health Month is giving men knowledge. Some of the

preventative screenings men need to take are getting tested for HIV, heart scans for

cardiovascular disease, and testicular cancer screenings. The best ways for men to prevent HIV are

to have protected sexual intercourse and to get tested for HIV. Men can do a self-evaluation for

testicular cancer screenings or go to the doctor. Compared to women, typically most men don’t

understand the need for having routine checkups. This has to be changed. We as a community

need to step up and create change for men and help them get the knowledge they need to have

optimal health.

Works Cited

● https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20

353087

● https://insights.omnia-health.com/mental-health/patient-talk-podcast-what-you-need-kno

w-today-about-common-mens-health-issues

● https://www.nchpad.org/650/2629/The~Importance~of~Men~s~Health

● https://www.unicityhealthcare.com/mens-health-month-bringing-awareness-mens-health-

issues-month-june/