June is men’s health month and hospitals are taking this opportunity to raise awareness about preventative care.
One hundred years ago, men lived longer than women by an average of one year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But today, the average woman lives six years longer than the average man.
This can be attributed to the fact that men are less likely to adopt preventative health measures, more likely to engage in risky behaviors, and more likely to go long periods without seeing a Doctor.
To highlight the issues of men’s health, health systems are hosting events, providing educational programs, and offering resources.
The University of Florida and UF Health are hosting free on-site wellness classes every Wednesday at 5 p.m. throughout the month of June. These fun outdoor fitness classes focus on low-impact strength training and cardio conditioning.
Medical Center Barbour Hospital is hosting a Men’s health BBQ. There will be free food, raffle prizes, games, informational booths, and special guest speakers to inform you about topics concerning men’s health.
On June 28th, VCU Health is offering a Men’s Heart Health discussion. Join Dr. Jeremy Turlington and Salvatore Carbone, Ph.D., as they discuss the importance of men’s heart health and ways to avoid heart disease including tackling risk factors by recognizing and reacting to symptoms, as well as how lifestyle, diet and physical activity can impact overall health.
UCHealth is using a play on words to empower more men to take the initiative of focusing on “MANtenance.”
“Usually they do this in November, but I think it works out pretty well in this month coming sort of out of the pandemic … that we get a chance to say, ‘Hey guys, there’s a lot of things that we probably ought to catch up on,’” said Dr. Brandon Pope.
Henry County Medical Center is hosting You Are the One in 2021 – All About Men’s Health discussion. John Beddies, MD, and Morgan Stone, NP will discuss men’s health topics on June 21st on their Facebook live stream.
“Up to 40% of men don’t see a primary care provider until they have a serious health issue,” said Dr. Rajen Doshi, a urologist with SSM Health Medical Group at St. Mary’s Hospital. Early detection of disease exponentially increases the chance of overcoming it.