Men's health: Ladies can help

This one’s for the men in our lives, so “Wear Blue.”

June is Men’s Health Month, and as there’s a ribbon for everything, this month’s color of blue reminds us why. Most men — to briefly indulge in stereotype — don’t exactly focus on daily health, at least not without a regular nudge.

So here we go. Boys, please pay attention:

Men die at higher rates (of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and injuries) than women, and are the victims of 92 percent of workplace deaths. In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, that gap has increased to five years in favor of women. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Women are 100 percent more likely to visit the doctor for annual exams and preventive care than are men. (Centers for Disease Control)

Depression in boys and men is underdiagnosed. Teenaged males are four times as likely as women to commit suicide; young adult males are six times as likely, and the rate gets worse over age 65. (CDC)

The male fetus is at greater risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, and 25 percent more newborn males die than females. (Menshealthnetwork.org)

Men suffer hearing loss at twice the rate of women. (Loud music, loud TV? Menshealthnetwork.org)

Men are believed to have weaker immune systems. (New York Times Magazine)

So why is all this true? According to the book, “Blueprint for Men’s Health,” men generally don’t take very good care of themselves. They’re also more hesitant to seek healthcare. Some prioritize their families’ health over their own, given limited resources of money and time. Most also tend not to want to admit something is wrong; while this may be changing in younger generations, there is a lingering social message that men are supposed to “tough out” pain or problems. Which of course only makes them worse.

That’s where awareness, and women, come in. We ladies can educate ourselves by understanding this and learning about symptoms and conditions. We can encourage the males we love to live healthier lifestyles for disease prevention, and to seek expert care when symptoms arise. For much more information and links see Menshealthnetwork.org, and search “men’s health” at NLM.NIH.GOV.

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And finally, a correction to a glaring error in Thursday’s column. While some Muslims make pilgrimages to holy sites in Israel, Mecca is, of course, in Saudi Arabia. Mea culpa.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network who hopes the men in her life will take better care to live as long as possible. Contact her at [email protected].