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/
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