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FOCUSING ON MEN’S HEALTH

Jan 30, 2018 Editorial

Men are generally considered stronger than women in physical terms. They are bigger and more muscular than women; they run faster, lift heavier objects and throw things farther. But while men rule on the aforementioned, in medical terms it is an entirely different story.
In matters of health, men are the weaker sex and their lifespan is shorter than that of women. World Health Organization (WHO) data published in 2015 in relation to Guyana and the Caribbean puts the average life expectancy at 67.9 years for males and 74.8 years for females. In 2005, it was 67.1 years for males and 73.9 years for females.
Being considered macho in society, men in general have placed little focus or emphasis on their health, which seemed to be counter-intuitive. They very seldom see a doctor, go to the hospital or visit a health clinic or a dentist.
According to the WHO, the health of men has deteriorated more than women in the last 25 years. The cause of this discrepancy is the fact that men are more likely to die of certain diseases than women. For example, the high blood pressure rate for men in Guyana and the Caribbean is over 35 percent, compared to 25.1 percent for females.
A Pan American Health Organization study in 2008, showed twice as many males than females suffered premature death due to cardiovascular disease. Breast cancer was linked mostly to females; today, about 3 percent of the men in Guyana and roughly 5 percent in the Caribbean have the disease.
Men in Guyana are more likely to engage in high-risk reckless behaviour. They consume more alcohol than women. Four out of five men drive while under the influence compared to one in five women. In the last five years, most of the traffic fatalities were males and the overwhelming majority of criminals, including murderers, were also males.
The gap is not only in relation to physical conditions. Males also suffer disproportionately in terms of certain mental illnesses and suicide rates. Data from the WHO showed that the lifetime prevalence rate for alcohol dependence is more than twice as high in men as in women. Men are also more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder than women. However, because gender bias occurs in the treatment of psychological disorders, the true picture may be masked. Public Health officials are more likely to diagnose depression in women compared with men, even when men have similar identical symptoms.
The truth is, men are not solely to be blamed for their reckless and sloppy behaviour. In all of these matters, a combination of cultural and biological factors is at play. Men have in years past, not been taught to be vigilant about their health. This has changed somewhat, but if we are serious about increasing productivity and developing as a nation, it is fundamental that those in authority acknowledge this is a problem and deal with it urgently.
Our changing understanding of the roles of men and women today in society, and in the home, calls for greater vigilance. Men have a major role to play in families; therefore they cannot be blind to their health needs or exhibit reckless and carefree behaviour.
Internationally, especially in the United States, Canada, and other developed countries, public campaigns have been effective in decreasing deaths related to unhealthy behaviours by men.
What is needed in Guyana is a sustained and effective public relations campaign.
As those in authority address the issues affecting healthcare needs in our society, they must remember to also focus on men’s health. However, none of this is meant to detract from the role played by women in society and the very real challenges they face given the lack of fathers in the homes. It is in the interest of all to ensure that men contribute their fullest potential to the family structure and in the building of the country.

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