Men's health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being as experienced by men, and not merely the absence of disease. Differences in men's health compared to women's can be attributed to biological factors, behavioral factors, and social factors (e.g., occupations). Men's health often relates to biological factors such as the male reproductive system or conditions caused by hormones specific to, or most notable in, males. Some conditions that affect both men and women, such as cancer, and injury, manifest differently in men. Some diseases that affect both sexes are statistically more common in men. In terms of behavioral factors, men are more likely to make unhealthy or risky choices and less likely to seek medical care. Men may face issues not directly related to their biology, such as gender-differentiated access to medical treatment and other socioeconomic factors. Outside Subsaharan Africa, men are at greater risk of HIV/AIDS. This is associated with unsafe sexual activity that is often nonconsensual.
Definition Men's health refers to the state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing of men, and encompasses a wide range of issues that are unique to men or that affect men differently than women. This can include issues related to reproductive health, sexual health, cardiovascular health, mental health, and cancer prevention and treatment. Men's health also encompasses lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress management, as well as access to healthcare and preventative measures.
Life expectancy
Despite overall increases in life expectancy globally, men's life expectancy is less than that of women, regardless of race and geographic region. The global gap between the life expectancy of men and women has remained at approximately 4.4 years since 2016, according to the WHO. Life expectancy is a statistical measure that represents the average number of years that a person is expected to live, based on the current mortality rates. It is typically calculated at birth and can vary depending on factors such as gender, race, and location. For example, life expectancy in many developed countries is higher than in developing countries, and life expectancy for women is generally higher than for men. However, the gap does vary based on country, with low-income countries having a smaller gap in life expectancy. Biological, behavioral, and social factors contribute to a lower overall life expectancy in men; however, the individual importance of each factor is not known. Overall attitudes towards health differ by gender. Men are generally less likely to be proactive in seeking healthcare, resulting in poorer health outcomes.
Men are difficult to recruit for health promotion interventions. The value of adopting a gender-sensitive approach to engage and retain men in health promotion interventions has been reported. Biological influences on lower male life expectancies include genetics and hormones. For males, the 23rd pair of chromosomes are an X and a Y chromosome, rather than the two X chromosomes in females. The Y chromosome is smaller in size and contains fewer genes. This distinction may contribute to the discrepancy between men's and women's life expectancy, as the additional X chromosome in females may counterbalance potential disease-producing genes from the other X chromosome. Since males don't have the second X chromosome, they lack this potential protection. Hormonally, testosterone is a major male sex hormone important for several functions in males, and to a lesser extent, females. Low testosterone in males is a risk factor of cardiovascular-related diseases. Conversely, high testosterone levels can contribute to prostate diseases. These hormonal factors play a direct role in the life expectancy of men compared to women. In terms of behavioral factors, men have higher levels of consumption of alcohol, substances, and tobacco compared to women, resulting in increased rates of diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. Sedentary behavior, associated with many chronic diseases seems to be more prevalent in men. These diseases influence the overall life expectancy of men. For example, according to the World Health Organization, 3.14 million men died from causes linked to excessive alcohol use in 2010 compared to 1.72 million women. Men are more likely than women to engage in over 30 risky behaviors associated with increased morbidity, injury, and mortality. Additionally, despite a disproportionately lower rate of suicide attempts than women, men have significantly higher rates of death by suicide. Social determinants of men's health involve factors such as greater levels of occupational exposure to physical and chemical hazards than women. Historically, men had higher work-related stress, which negatively impacted their life expectancy by increasing the risk of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. However, as women's role in the workplace continues to be established, these risks are no longer specific to just men.
Mental health
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