Real Men Get Check Ups

National Men’s Health Week June 13-19

The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten the aware ness of prevent able health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This week 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.

To quote Congressman Bill Richardson (Congressional Record, H3905H3906, May 24, 1994):

“Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men’s health is truly a family issue.”

In 1920, women lived an average of one year longer than men. Today, men die almost six years earlier than women and are more likely to die of heart disease and cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control. These troubling statistics haven’t translated into better health care practices for men. A recent survey found that men take better care of their cars than of their own health, according to Men’s Health Network. Eighty-four percent of men said they had had their car serviced in the past year, but only 66 percent had been to the doctor for an annual check-up. Putting off medical visits and ignoring symptoms is especially common among Hispanic men who, because of machista attitudes, often view going to the doctor as a sign of weakness. Don’t let your man suffer in silence. Encourage the men you love to get a tune-up, whether that means starting a fitness program, improving their diet, getting a physical, or even seeing a therapist.