This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's been called a silent epidemic, but that's not entirely true. Most everyone knows that the life expectancy of men is significantly less - five years nationally; approximately three years in Utah - than women's. And while the gap has been gradually narrowing, not a lot is being done to achieve parity.
Nationally, just like clockwork, Congress approves a resolution declaring June as Men's Health Month. But the Men's Health Act, which would establish a national Office of Men's Health to conduct and support programs to make men live longer, has been bandied about without action since its introduction in 2001.
And in Utah, women's health issues continue to receive a disproportionate share of attention, and more importantly, funding, when compared to male-specific issues. The state Department of Health makes money available for cervical and breast cancer screenings, but not for prostate and testicular cancer screenings. Its reproductive-health program is focused exclusively on women. And its Web site features a women's health page, while devoting minimal space to issues specific to the fathers, sons and brothers who too often die before their time, victims of undetected diseases and poor lifestyle choices.
A case can be made that men are asking for an early grave. Call it the James Dean/Ralph Kramden syndrome. State data reveals that men are more likely to smoke, and drink alcohol to excess, than women. They're more likely to be obese, owing to their irresponsible diets. And they're less likely to visit a doctor and undergo preventive health screenings; more likely to engage in risky behaviors that lead to accidental deaths.
But men aren't a lost cause. The fact that their life expectancy has been steadily increasing indicates they're capable of responding to treatment if pushed in the proper direction. It's time for the government to give them a nudge.
Congress needs to stop passing resolutions that pay lip service to the problem and put its money where its mouth is by approving the Men's Health Act. State health officials need to make money available for prostate and testicular cancer screenings, and give men's health issues a prominent place on its Web site.
And men need to take advantage of these new resources, and help themselves.