Since 1992, June has been celebrated as National Men’s Health Awareness Month. The purpose of is simple: to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among both men and boys. This month is all about encouraging the men in your life to focus on their health by eating right, exercising, and taking steps to prevent disease.
Although men do face certain health problems that are specific to their bodies (prostate cancer, for example), most health issues faced by men and women (heart disease, diabetes, etc.) are the same. Yet men are more reluctant to go to the doctor (studies show women go to the doctor twice as much as men).
We want to heighten men’s awareness of preventable health problems while increasing and prolonging their quality of life. At BMH we encourage men and boys to establish partnerships with trusted medical professionals, to avoid unsafe/risky behaviors, to care for their mental as well as physical health, and to participate in regular/recommended health screenings.
Check out this article on men and health written by John Todd, APRN, of Putney Family Healthcare.