Posted by John Dias in Myth: “Men’s health gets priority over women’s.”
Fact: Men’s health is significantly neglected compared to women’s health. In the 1920s men died one year younger than women (the rate women died in childbirth was almost equal to the rate men died in war). Today, men die 6 years younger than women and have higher death rates for all 10 leading causes of death.
Men also account for about 85% of homeless adults, 90% of prisoners, 65% of dropouts, 80% of suicide deaths, and 92% of occupational deaths.
(Warren Farrell, Ph.D., “The Myth of Male Power: Why Men Are the Disposable Sex.)
Male suicide has skyrocketed in the last 30 years, especially among young men and divorced men. Men are also more likely than women to have mental disabilities but less likely than women to receive treatment, especially in prisons.
Despite these figures, there is still no federal office of men’s health even though there are about 7 federal offices of women’s health. Most states and local governments have offices of women’s health but not men’s health (only Georgia has an office of men’s health). The government has long spent multiple times more on breast cancer than prostate cancer research, despite nearly equal mortality rates.
There are actually more women who die of breast cancer than there are men who die of prostate cancer, but at the same time, there are more men who get prostate cancer than there are women who get breast cancer, so the statistics even out. What has not evened out, however, is the funding gap between the cancers. The federal government spends twice as much money on breast cancer research as they do on prostate cancer research (I forget where I found all these stats), and in my home state of Pennsylvania, there is a Breast Cancer Coalition (as indicated by the license plates with the pink ribbons) but no such coalition for prostate cancer. All this in addition to the pink ribbon coffee mugs, tissue boxes, soup cans… you name it, some company has probably slapped a pink ribbon on it. It’s disheartening, really, and that’s an understatement.
As long as funding for prostate cancer research lags behind that for breast cancer research, there will continue to be seven light blue ribbons on my car in support of prostate cancer awareness.
I meant seven light blue ribbon magnets on my car. You can buy them at http://www.choosehope.com.
The same is true in Canada with regard to prostate cancer. While women can get a mamogram at no cost under Medicare, Men are charges for a simple PSA Test. Although it is not 100% accurate in detecting cancer; it is a good indicator for a followup procedure.
The disposable sex is right – we are not vocal enough.
Men need to take charge while they have time in their life. Grab the book called the holy bible to live by what God wants you to go by. Let people see it. You will be amazed about the power of his word. Let the Holy Spirit shine from within. It will accomplish more good than evil. Remember females have done enough damage to society. Lets take the household and power back that used to belonged to use years ago.
In Jesus name AMEN
About time someone came out and said it, men are getting scared to be seen as non PC. Its crazy
lol Fight the power!!
We need to take responsibility for ourselves in that no one else will or has the responsibility to!
Women so far outlive us and how much is due to their awareness and attention to their bodies?
It I guess it IS a residual genetic trait, when we were chasing down our food, we couldn’t stop when we got an ‘owie,’ we had to wrestle that potential dinner down and drag it back to the nest. The female didn’t have these risks when grubbing for roots and berries or suckleing her child so would attend to the infected thorn or cut.
That’s all in the past now so be aware and take care!
Roar
I agree that there should be equal amounts of money spent on men’s and women’s health, BUT I do believe that women are more willing to go to the doctor than men. As a woman I faithfully go to the gyno every year for an exam, my husband has not been to the doctor once in 9 years because he doesn’t see the point. My father(who is a doctor) found out he had high blood pressure at the dentists. I had a friend who had skin cancer but refused to get it checked out until his wife forced him to. Go to the doctor boys!
“I agree that there should be equal amounts of money spent on men’s and women’s health, BUT I do believe that women are more willing to go to the doctor than men.”
I certainly hoped you checked with the planet’s 3 billion women before making that blanket statement.
Um, I said “I believe that women are more willing to go to the doctor”. A blanket statement would be if I said “it is a fact that etc”. I’m aloud to believe something, right? Of course I can’t interview every single woman in the world about her views on going to the doctor. But at least the women in my life seem to be more willing to go to the doctor. I’m soooo sorry that that is such a crazy blanket statement to make. Jeeesh. Touchy much?
sorry- meant allowed not aloud. Can’t seem to edit posts on this comment section.
“I believe that women are more willing to go to the doctor” is still a blanket statement. You don’t have to insert the “it is a fact that”; statements need not be facts.
The sooner we get rid of statements like “Women do this,” “Men do this,” etc., the sooner we will achieve equality of the sexes.
Vince,
Shove it up your ass, piece of shit male. Cry baby. No one gives a shit, mamma’s boy.
YogiPrema,
Hate to break it to you, but your ad hominems render your post moot.
Did you REALLY think you could change my views by your post? Seriously, just what are you trying to accomplish here?