Men's Health
There is an increasing momentum of men’s health awareness in Australia; but as a general rule, men remain unhealthier than woman. The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that men have an average life expectancy of 78, compared to 83 for a woman.
According to Associate Professor Gary Wittert from the University of Adelaide's Department of Medicine, “Males suffer higher death rates from nearly all non-sex specific leading causes. Heart disease and cancer occur more frequently in males than in females at all ages, and until very old age, men have the overwhelming majority of accidents and injuries. Men suffer higher death rates across all of the 10 leading causes of death.”
There is no doubt that there remains a need to better understand the association between behavioural, genetic, social and biomedical factors that contribute to poorer health outcomes compared to women. What is undisputed however; is that lack of awareness is a dominant factor in the issue.
As a rule, men still access health services less frequently than women and when they do visit the doctor, they typically present late, thereby denying themselves the chance of early detection and treatment of common diseases. Recent studies show that men don’t get regular health checks for a number of reasons:
According to Associate Professor Gary Wittert from the University of Adelaide's Department of Medicine, “Males suffer higher death rates from nearly all non-sex specific leading causes. Heart disease and cancer occur more frequently in males than in females at all ages, and until very old age, men have the overwhelming majority of accidents and injuries. Men suffer higher death rates across all of the 10 leading causes of death.”
There is no doubt that there remains a need to better understand the association between behavioural, genetic, social and biomedical factors that contribute to poorer health outcomes compared to women. What is undisputed however; is that lack of awareness is a dominant factor in the issue.
As a rule, men still access health services less frequently than women and when they do visit the doctor, they typically present late, thereby denying themselves the chance of early detection and treatment of common diseases. Recent studies show that men don’t get regular health checks for a number of reasons:
- Scared it will lead to a hospital visit
- Embarrassed to discuss their health issues
- Just can’t be bothered making an appointment
- Find it too hard to see a GP because of limited opening hours
As a result of a lack of awareness around men’s health issues in the past, many men today do not fully understand or know about the risks they face.
Through increased education and awareness, the Movember Foundation aims to enable men to identify issues, seek effective treatments and look out for one another for years to come. By putting a fun twist on a serious issue and by using the moustache as a catalyst we want to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to talk about their health.
The Movember Foundation is interested in raising awareness around all men’s health issues but in Australia specifically focuses on prostate cancer and depression in men.
Through increased education and awareness, the Movember Foundation aims to enable men to identify issues, seek effective treatments and look out for one another for years to come. By putting a fun twist on a serious issue and by using the moustache as a catalyst we want to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to talk about their health.
The Movember Foundation is interested in raising awareness around all men’s health issues but in Australia specifically focuses on prostate cancer and depression in men.
- We want everyone to know that all men aged over 50 and those over 40 with a family history of prostate cancer are at risk and should be tested annually
- We want every man who is dealing with depression to know it is a disease for which they can and should seek help
- We want men to know that they shouldn’t wait until they are sick to see a doctor. An annual general health check-up will be the best change for catching things early and preventing complications and side effects.
For more men's health information please download a copy of the Movember Men's Health Poster by clicking on the thumbnail below.
Download Men's Health Poster
Download Men's Health Poster
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