Womens Health Day
The annual Speaking of Women’s Health Day has come and gone again, and it’s a good thing that this event has been organized to make women both locally and nationally more aware of how they can practice early detection of health problems and live healthier lives.
That’s fine for the women. But what about us men? Why hasn’t it occurred to anyone that just maybe there should be a Speaking of Men’s Health Day, too?
Years ago, when I was senior reporter for “a local newspaper” (wink! wink!), I once suggested to the editorial board that the newspaper should endorse the idea of a Speaking of Men’s Health program. All I got for the suggestion was laughter and jokes about how they would have to provide a keg of beer and a televised football game to attract men to such an event.
OK; they had a good laugh at my expense. But we men are more aware of our health than we used to be. For one thing, any of us who are military veterans and are covered by the VA health care system have to have routine physicals every six months in order to receive our medications from the VA. It’s required, not optional; but it helps to put one into the mindset that having regular check-ups is not “sissy” or “unnecessary.” It’s just common sense.
Speaking on general terms, though, it’s true that men are less likely than women to monitor their health or see their primary care provider regularly. For one thing, we don’t get pregnant. For another, most of us don’t like going to the doctor, or talking about our ailments. We tend to agree with the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The trouble with that adage is, sometimes it’s becoming “broke” long before you have any symptoms. That’s what check-ups are for — to catch things before they get beyond catching. And that’s where we men do need some educating about our own self interest.
That’s where a Speaking of Men’s Health program would come in. Oh, I’m aware that it would have to be structured differently than the women’s version. I can’t imagine a group of men willingly learning how to belly-dance. Although they might enjoy watching the woman who was there to teach it. Who knows? Maybe they WOULD eventually get into it. If not, there are other exercises, the fun type, that men might find more to their liking.
It would be important to have some respected, recognizably he-men type males to conduct the event. A well-known college basketball coach with knowledge of men’s health problems might be a good example. Using a conversational, man-to-man way of addressing his audience, with a mixture of “old boy” humor and serious information, such a man might successfully impart his message.
Maybe slogans like, “Look after your health — it’s important for your family;” or, “There’s nothing un-masculine about staying healthy,” might tap into men’s instinct to be their families’ protector, and to maintain their health without sacrificing any of what they regard as their manliness.
Hey, folks, this is something that’s needed in our society. At least part of the lifespan gap between men and women in this country — women tend to live seven to eight years longer than men — is attributable to ignorance on the part of males about living healthy lives, and on a failure by too many men to take care of themselves reasonably well. I’m a good example of that, as a recovering alcoholic and former smoker. But I’m trying to make up for it now. And it would be better for the younger men coming up to start living a more healthy lifestyle now, rather than waiting until they get to an advanced age, as I did.
Old Corporal <corporalko@yahoo.com>
Speaking of men’s health, – Sunday, May 04, 2008 at 18:52:04 (EDT)
