A simple way to know your options if you’re having chest pain
Patients reporting chest pain account for about 6.5 million visits to American emergency rooms, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says. Most are not heart attacks, the CDC says, but patients often don’t understand their options and therefore can’t make informed decisions about their care. It’s tough to get men with chest pain into the... CONTINUE READING→
How to Prepare for a Vasectomy
The COVID pandemic has been very clarifying for you. You really don’t want more/any children. She has “pulled the goalie” and it’s time for you to step up and take control of things. After a bit of online research, you realize that your options are pretty limited: pulling out, abstinence, condoms…and vasectomy. Luckily, vasectomy happens to be the... CONTINUE READING→
Fighting prostate cancer in the Mississippi Delta, one man at a time
In the impoverished communities of the Mississippi Delta, where prostate cancer death rates are more than 28 men per 100,000, residents were leery about the concept of research. Delta residents were deeply concerned about exploitation and feared that participating in cancer research would make them guinea pigs. So Freddie White-Johnson created a community cancer outreach... CONTINUE READING→
Underlying Issues You Didn’t Know Could Be Causing Your ED
When it comes to erectile dysfunction (ED) there are some common causes that are well known (such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes)—but they’re not the only causes. Quite often, even the medications used to treat these conditions can cause ED as well. However, ED can also be a symptom of another condition that may... CONTINUE READING→
Colon Cancer: A Growing Risk for Young Me
Dear Healthy Men: When Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer a few months ago, I was surprised that he was so young—I always thought it was an old-person’s disease. What are the risk factors for younger people, especially men? A: You’re absolutely right. Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 39 and died at 43—far... CONTINUE READING→
Divorce is Not the Answer: Why Stage 3 Disillusionment Is the Key to Real Lasting Love
I’ve been a marriage and family counselor for more than fifty years now. I hear from men and women every day who are in pain and suffering because their relationship has gone downhill and is in danger of crashing. Though some relationships need to end for the good of the couple or their children, for... CONTINUE READING→
Authorities fear COVID-19 is making opioid abuse worse
The opioid abuse epidemic in the United States was already urgent when the COVID-19 pandemic began, but health authorities fear the virus has made the opioid epidemic even worse. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released in December 2020 notes that 10 western states saw opioid overdoses increase in that year. Most... CONTINUE READING→
Dealing with Unsolicited Fertility Advice from Others
They’re probably just trying to help, but getting an earful of advice from others about your infertility issue can be incredibly uncomfortable. And belittling. And distressing. Like you haven’t already been endlessly researching options and talking with providers. Untargeted infertility advice is often way off target…and it just keeps coming. But, although no one has... CONTINUE READING→
COVID-19 isolation contributes to mental health issues for men and boys
COVID-19’s isolation may be necessary for physical health, but it’s causing a torrent of mental health problems for boys and young men that are worsening as the pandemic drags on. Family members, friends and work colleagues can play an important part in monitoring the mental health of the men and boys they care about. The... CONTINUE READING→
What Women Need to Know About Men’s Health
Dear Healthy Men: As a wife, daughter, sister, and mother of two boys, I’m surrounded by men. What do I need to know about men’s health? A: I’ve always maintained that men’s health is a women’s issue, since when men are healthier, their partners become healthier too (along with their children and communities). Here are the... CONTINUE READING→