With the solstice behind us and the last few days of June ahead, summer is here. And the reminders are constant: warmer weather, relaxed dress codes and recurring vacation ads on television. Along with the official start of summer, the month marks an important awareness period for men’s health. Events and activities centered to encourage...Continue reading
Category: Masculinity
A Second Look
On June 12, 2016 a community that is often marginalized became very visible through an act of violence. I was deeply shocked and angry at the carnage of human life and moved beyond words at the act of compassion displayed by the residents of Orlando and the world. Love is the defense against hate and...
Male Infertility May Predict Other Health Problems
Masculinity is a complicated thing. And there’s no more masculine way for a man to express his, well, masculinity than by making babies. That explains why being infertile or having erectile dysfunction (ED) is so strongly connected with depression (in both directions—depression itself can cause ED, and ED and/or fertility problems can cause depression). Infertility...Continue reading
From Penn State to Afghanistan–Why Do We See No Evil When Boys Are Sexually Abused?
When I was about 12 years old, my mother took me to visit one of her cousins. As the evening approach, she and her cousin decided to go to a concert and they left me in the care of her cousin’s husband. Since I didn’t really know him, I decided to go into one of the...Continue reading
Breaking the Mother-Son Dynamic: Resetting the Patterns of a Man’s Life and Loves
Thomas Wolfe says, “You can never go home again.” However, to go forward, I have to go backward from time to time. I return to the places where the dreams began: my hometown and the small college where I did my undergraduate work. That’s where I’m sitting right now, writing these pages. Through the windows I see the amphitheater...Continue reading
How Far Would You Go to Prove Your Masculinity?
There seems to be no end to the things guys will do to prove their masculinity–especially around someone whose attention we’d like to attract. If you’ve ever read Mark Twain’s classic book Tom Sawyer, you probably remember how Tom tries to win the heart of Becky Thatcher by doing all sorts of crazy (and dangerous)...Continue reading
Grooming “Down There”: Fashion Trend, Or Health Hazard?
Trimming or removing pubic hair has become incredibly common for men as well as women. And while it may make you feel sexy, clean, and attractive, “manscaping” might also cause some unanticipated health hazards for you… But hey, it’s your decision. People elect to modify their pubic hair for a variety of reasons. At the...Continue reading
What Knot to Do to Keep Your Hair
If you’re one of those guys who follows celebrity fashion trends and hairstyles (and even if you’re not), you’ve noticed that a growing number of men are tying their hair up into a single knot on the top or back of their head. If you’ve been tempted to do the same to your hair, you...Continue reading
Are men an endangered species?
How come men don’t live as long as women? Is it because they do things like big wave surfing, base jumping in squirrel suits or highlining between buildings? Maybe we have a testosterone-fueled, Evil Knievel gene within us, right next to the air guitar and channel surfing genes, and are simply destined to break 433 bones, just...Continue reading
Pumping Iron: Quite Possibly the Best Workout Ever
Sure-fire, get-in-the-best-shape-of-your-life-or-your-money-back fitness methods have been around for thousands of years. But there’s one method that won’t ever show up on a list of fads, but, despite the absence of hype, it may very well be the most beneficial of the bunch: good, old-fashioned weight lifting. Let’s take a look at some of the proven...Continue reading