Each June in the week leading up to Father’s Day, Men’s Health Week is observed. This nationally-recognized celebration draws attention to men’s health issues in an effort to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. First established in the early 1990s, Men’s Health Week was created because, despite the advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of seven years less than women.
This difference in life expectancy is in large part because of a lack of awareness, poor health education, and culturally induced behavior patterns in men’s work and personal lives. As a result, men’s health and well-being are deteriorating steadily, which is having a dramatic impact on society at large. Research shows that this gap in life expectancy between men and women is leaving more women in poverty than ever before. The U.S. Administration on Aging found that over one-half of elderly widows now living in poverty were not poor before the deaths of their husbands.
The reasons for why men are at greater risk of dying than women are varied and nuanced. Men make half as many physician visits for prevention as women do, likely because a higher percentage of men have no health care coverage. Men may also have less healthy lifestyles, including risk-taking at younger ages, in addition to society discouraging healthy behaviors in men and boys.
One way for men to improve their health is to get screened for health problems before symptoms even begin. Because some illnesses are preventable and are more likely curable with early detection, health screenings are a vital component of improving men’s health and wellness. Screenings most men should consider include:
- Blood pressure & cholesterol tests
- Colorectal or prostate cancer screening
- Tests for sexually transmitted disease and HIV/AIDS
- Depression screening
Your doctor can direct as to what age these tests should be administered, as well as their frequency.
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