A new men’s health website called Healthy Men was launched today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ falls under the U.S Department of Health & Human Services. It primarily functions as a research agency and additionally provides research grants to academic institutions, private entities, and public organizations.
The new site gives basic, general health information. The content is not particularly customized for men yet. It lists preventive tests that men should seek and has links to videos of AHRQ’s public service announcements.
Under “Other Cancers” the website advises men to “ask your doctor if you should be tested for prostate, lung, oral, skin or other cancers.” While Men’s Health Network (MHN) encourages these conversations, we more specifically advocate that African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer consider beginning prostate screening at age 40 or earlier. To download MHN’s recommended screenings for both women and men please visit www.getitchecked.com.
The AHRQ website has some interactive elements: A Get Dad to the Doc e-card and a quiz on some of the site’s content. One would hope that AHRQ has a medium beyond its website of communicating the Get Dad to the Doc e-card. It is doubtful many children will be visiting this site; however, the concept is well conceived.
The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing has its own National Male Health Policy web page. Although it is merely a page, it has health policy reports that demonstrate its commitment to understanding and continually improving its male population’s health. This deep analysis of men’s health is a standard our government should strive for.
Overall, AHRQ’s site is relatively generic and basic at this time. Hopefully it will evolve and is not merely a placeholder. It is doubtful that this is the case since AHRQ is using its resources to run public service announcements encouraging men to go to the doctor and get their screenings. This may be a positive sign that the government is finally getting active in the men’s health crisis.
