( ENSPIRE Health & Awareness ) Raising Awareness of Preventable Conditions Men Face Every Day
ENSPIRE Contributor: LaShonda Thompson
June is Men’s Health Month. 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. To bring awareness, the Men’s Health Network, a national non-profit organization continues its mission of educating on men’s health and promoting disease prevention in men and boys.
Men’s Health Network’s Wear BLUE promotes making healthy lifestyle choices, making regular annual visits to the doctor, getting educated on heart disease or diabetes, starting general health conversations with their male friends, and much more. The information, tools, and resources on this website can help you plan an impactful Wear BLUE event where you live, work, play, and pray.
Many men do not make their health a high priority in their lives. The ailments that cause the most deaths and illnesses in men are either preventable or treatable. Unfortunately, men are usually less willing than women to visit doctors for checkups or preventative care, to seek treatment during the early stages of an ailment or to seek mental health advice. Men are also more likely to engage in risky behavior like drinking alcohol in excess, smoking tobacco and driving dangerously. Luckily, there are many easy steps that men can take to improve their health.
The Women’s Health Network shared some tips on spreading the word and making sure every loved male in your life is living well.
- Early screenings! They will not only save money in the long run, but they can also save your life and/or make life easier to manage if diseases are caught early on.
- Exercise, because it’s summertime! Why do you think most TV shows and football are off? So men can finally go out and move around. (Note: There is no true correlation between the summer broadcast schedule and exercise.) You shouldn’t need a reason to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in — help your heart and just do it.
- Father’s Day is coming up! Why not give the father figure in your life the gift of knowledge along with your gift? There are many resources at www.menshealthnetwork.org that will help educate you and your father about risks of prostate cancer and other diseases.
- Keep reading the Men’s Health Network’s blog Talking About Men’s Health™ (and others like it) for the latest on how to improve and support men’s health.
- Remember that anyone can assist in the men’s health movement, and help is not limited by gender. Anyone can be supportive and help men make that first step toward a better life. Everyone should be an ally!
For ways to get involved with Men’s Health Month, check out the following sites.
