National Men’s Health Week

[jakeakins]

IV

118th CONGRESS

IN THE SENATE

June 9, 2023

Mr. Jones(for himself; with thanks to Mr. Payne) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

RESOLUTION

Supporting the designation of the week of June 12 through June 18, 2023, as National Men’s Health Week.

Whereas, despite advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of more than 5 years less than women, and American Indian/Alaska Native and African-American men have the lowest life expectancy;

Whereas heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and unintentional injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead to death in men at a higher percentage than women;

Whereas suicide is among the top 10 causes of death for men, and ranks as the second highest cause of death for men in 2 age groups, from ages 1 through 19 and ages 20 through 44;

Whereas men on average experience a heart attack 7 years earlier than women;

Whereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between the ages of 15 and 34, and when detected early, has a 95-percent survival rate;

Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, the number of colorectal cancer cases among men is expected to be over 80,000 in 2022, and over 28,320 men are expected to die from it;

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 out of every 100 American men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime;

Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 268,490 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, and an estimated 34,500 of them will die from the disease;

Whereas African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence of prostate cancer;

Whereas African-American men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with, and 2.1 times more likely to die from, prostate cancer than White men;

Whereas significant numbers of predominantly male-related health problems, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, and colon cancer, could be detected and treated in the early stages if men were more widely aware of the many early detection and screening tools and preventive measures currently available;

Whereas educating both the public and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems will result in reducing rates of mortality for these diseases;

Whereas appropriate use of tests such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) exams and blood pressure and cholesterol screens, in conjunction with clinical examination and self-testing for problems such as testicular cancer, can result in the detection of many of these problems in their early stages and increases in the survival rates to nearly 100 percent;

Whereas, according to the 2019 Cleveland Clinic MENtion It Survey, two-thirds (65 percent) of men tend to wait as long as possible to see their doctor if they have any health symptoms or an injury, and among men surveyed, men ages 35 to 54 are more likely to agree they tend to tough it out as long as possible before going to the doctor (72 percent), compared to men 55 and up (59 percent);

Whereas women are twice as likely as men to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services;

Whereas men are less likely than women to visit their health center or physician for regular screening examinations of male-related problems for a variety of reasons, including fear of learning or confirming health status or condition, embarrassment, lack of health insurance, lack of information, and high out-of-pockets costs;

Whereas National Men’s Health Week was established by Congress and first celebrated in 1994 and urges men and their families to engage in appropriate health behaviors, and the resulting increased awareness has improved health-related education and helped prevent illness;

Whereas the Governors of all 50 States have issued proclamations annually declaring Men’s Health Week in their States, as have mayors of over 350 cities;

Whereas, since 1994, National Men’s Health Week has been celebrated each June by hundreds of States, cities, localities, public health departments, health care entities, churches, and community organizations throughout the Nation that promote health awareness events focused on men and families;

Whereas the National Men’s Health Week website has been established at www.menshealthmonth.org and features proclamations from Governors and mayors, and National Men’s Health Week events;

Whereas men who are educated about the value that preventive health care can play in prolonging their lifespan and their role as productive family members will be more likely to participate in health screenings;

Whereas men and their families are encouraged to increase their awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and medical checkups; and

Whereas June 12 through June 18, 2023, is National Men’s Health Week, which has the purpose of heightening the awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives—

(1)

supports the annual National Men’s Health Week; and

(2)

requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States and interested groups to observe National Men’s Health Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Quote

 

PES

This resolution expresses support for National Men's Health Week.