NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE HEALTH OF MEN, BOYS AND SOCIETY

In collaboration with Dr. Will Courtenay, a leader in the national and international men's health movement, Prevention Institute is launching the National Center for the Health of Men, Boys and Society.

National Center for the Health of Men, Boys and Society Technical Advisory Group

Why men's health?

Despite the fact that men in the United States continue to have more social and economic power than women, they are at greater risk of death than women in every age group. Men die, on average, more than six years earlier than women. Men have higher death rates for all 15 leading causes of death. Men are also more likely than women to suffer severe chronic conditions and fatal diseases, and to suffer them at an earlier age. For seven out of ten of the most common infectious diseases, the incidence is higher among men than among women.

Men's health is a social issue. The behaviors that men engage in often affect the health and well-being of women, children, and other men. For example, men are at fault in nearly eight of ten fatal automobile crashes. An estimated one in three adult women experiences at least one physical assault by her partner during adulthood. Men are also more often reported for the sexual abuse of children. Focusing on the improvement of men's health will therefore not only lead to improved health conditions for men and boys, but will also contribute to building healthier families and communities.

What's being done?

Increased attention is being paid to the topic of men's health. However, a comprehensive approach for addressing the health needs of men and boys has yet to be formulated. There has been limited collaboration or strategizing among the different groups involved in this work, and there is a lack of leadership to link these individual endeavors into a coherent strategy. This institution will provide the structural capacity necessary for uniting diverse efforts into a comprehensive plan of action. The following are the primary objectives of Prevention Institute's National Center for the Health of Men, Boys and Society:

1. Synthesize what is known about men's and boys' health.
2. Encourage and develop multifaceted strategies that effectively reduce health risks among men and boys and address prevalent social norms of masculinity that influence health.
3. Foster collaboration among individuals, institutions, and communities currently working to prevent injury and disease among men and boys or working to create healthier communities and families.

Articles and Reports

Building on a Legacy of Social Justice Activism: Enlisting Men as Gender Justice Activists in South Africa
This article was written by Dean Peacock, consultant to the Family Violence Prevention Fund and graduate student intern at Prevention Institute, and published in the January 2003 issue of Men and Masculinities.
Available as PDF

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