June 10, 2024

What is Men’s Health Week?

Men’s Health Week is celebrated the week leading up to Father’s Day from June 10 through 16 and aims to bring awareness to preventable health problems. Men’s Health Week encourages early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys to promote healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives.

Make the doctor’s appointment.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, men are far more likely to skip routine health screens and far less likely than women to have seen a doctor of any kind during the previous year.

Men’s Health Week is a great opportunity to schedule annual exams or appointments you’ve been putting off. A handful of simple medical exams can detect serious illnesses early and promote a long, healthy life. Some wellness exams and screenings to consider are:

Health appointments to consider:

• Annual checkup: Regular checkups are an important aspect of your health and should be completed in addition to doctors’ visits for sickness or injury. In addition to completing a physical examination, checkups focus on preventative care, including providing screening tests, services (such as vaccinations), and education and counseling to help you make informed health decisions.

You may ask your doctor for specific tests such as:

• • Diabetes screening: Men over 35 should request a screening every three years if they have no risk factors, while those with risk factors may need earlier and/or more frequent screenings.
  • Cholesterol screening: Men with no risk factors should be screened yearly for high cholesterol starting at age 45, while those with risk factors should start screening at age 18.
  • Bone density test: Men aged 65 or older should get a bone density test.

• Prostate cancer screening: Men should discuss prostate cancer screenings with providers starting at the age of 50. Men with a family history of prostate cancer should also be screened starting at age 40.
• Colonoscopy: While those with a family history may need to start screening earlier, most men can start getting colonoscopies at age 45. The screening helps detect colon cancer and often will catch colon cancer in an early, treatable stage. It may be performed once every 10 years or more often depending on risk factors.
• Annual wellness visits for those aged 65-plus: This appointment is a chance for older men to speak with their doctors about prescription and over-the-counter drugs, cancer screenings, vaccines, depression testing and other issues. It’s more of a discussion and less of an examination that occurs at your annual physical.
• Ask your doctor when and if you should consider other tests and screens including a lung cancer screening, a skin check, a hearing test, and an eye exam.

Men’s Health Resources:

• Why men often die earlier than women (Harvard Health Publishing)
• Men’s Health (CDC)
• Are You Up to Date on Your Preventative Care? (CDC)
• Adult Immunization Schedule by Age (CDC)
• Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age (CDC)