Focus on men’s mental and physical heatlh
It is National Men’s Health Week and with three times as many suicides as women and twice as many diagnosed with HIV things aren’t looking so good for men.
CiC have published a fact sheet of problems affecting men and what employers can do to help.
Men are traditionally seen as the dependable ones who support others but men don’t seem to be looking after themselves all that well.
HIV and AIDS affects 40,000 men in the UK over twice the number of women affected.
The most common cause of death for men aged between 15 and 44 years old is suicide.
Cardiovascular disease is the second most common problem. Over 1.5 million men living in the UK are estimated to have had either angina or a heart attack.
Over 30,000 men in the UK are diagnosed each year with prostate cancer, many of whom live with it for many years with or without treatment.
These problems may in part be blamed on unhealthy lifestyles of many men in UK, studies have found that two in five men drink too much, more than one in four smoke, and one in three younger men use illegal drugs.
According to CiC, employers can help by encouraging men to think about their lifestyles and also be more open with each other.
Despite the many health problems, men are much less likely to consult a doctor than women and think that seeking assistance shows weakness.
