Men's Health Awareness
Men's Health Month is celebrated in June with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities. The purpose of Men's Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.
Reproductive health is an important component of men's overall health and well-being. Too often, men have been overlooked in discussions of preconception and reproductive health, especially when reproductive issues such as contraception and infertility have been perceived as female-related. The CDC recommends certain things that men, their partners, and their health care providers can do every day to ensure men's health, as well as that of the women and children in their lives. These key steps are described below. Share them with the men in your lives and encourage your friends and clients to do the same! The single most important way men can take care of themselves and the one's they love is to actively take part in their health care.
Make a Plan and Take Action
Men should consult with their health care provider to discuss which contraceptive method is best for him and his partner based on overall health, age, frequency of sexual activity, number of partners, desire to have children in the future, and family history of certain diseases. Everyone can benefit from having a reproductive life plan based on her, his, or their own personal values, goals, and resources.
Get Tested!
Get screened and treated for STIs. It is important to discuss the risk factors for STIs with a health care provider and ask about getting tested. It is possible to have an STI and not know it, because many do not cause symptoms. Men with STIs need to ask a health care provider about treatment to address symptoms, reduce progression, and decrease or eliminate the risk of transmission.
Prevent and Stop Drug Abuse
Smoking, illicit drug use, and binge drinking can cause infertility among men. Men are more likely than women to drink excessively. Excessive drinking is associated with significant increases in short-term risks to health and safety, and the risk increases as the amount of drinking increases. Additionally, a pregnant woman who is exposed to secondhand smoke has a 20% higher chance of giving birth to a baby with low birth weight than women who are not exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy. Talk to your health care provider if you need help quitting, and/or contact the National Quit Hotline 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight
People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for many serious conditions, as do people who are underweight. In addition, obesity among men is directly associated with increased male infertility. The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn't about short-term dietary changes. It's about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity. Men should be encouraged at every age to be physically active and make healthy food choices.
Prevent and Stop Violence
Violence affects people in all stages of life, and destroys relationships and families. Men, boys, fathers, uncles and brothers DO and MUST play an ACTIVE role in ending violence in all forms. There are a number of resources available to help engage men and youth in preventing violence, and especially, violence against women.
Get Mentally Healthy
Depression is under-diagnosed in men. Men are over four times more likely than women to commit suicide. Plus, most men don't realize that some of the physical symptoms they may experience -things like chronic pain and digestive problems - could actually be caused by a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety or stress. Then there are the men who suspect that they have a problem, but suffer in silence, afraid to admit they need help. Since mental health is very important to one's overall health and well-being, men of all ages should be encouraged to seek help from a professional when needed. Recognizing and preventing men's health issues across the life course is important since it impacts the lives of their families, and the overall community.
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