Health Education Behind Bars is Not Optional: It’s Imperative

This advocacy op-ed argues that health education and preventive care programs should be expanded within correctional facilities to address the significant health disparities experienced by incarcerated men and boys. The article highlights how improved health literacy, chronic disease management, mental health awareness, and continuity of care can lead to better health outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and stronger community reintegration. It emphasizes that voluntary, ethically implemented health education programs are a practical public health investment that benefits both incarcerated individuals and society as a whole.Continue reading

Why America Can No Longer Ignore Men’s Health: Responding to the Growing Call for a Federal Men’s Health Strategy

This response article examines the growing national conversation around men’s health policy through the lens of Dr. Dominick Shattuck’s Substack post, “Why the U.S. Needs a Federal Strategy on Men’s Health.” The blog explores the nearly six-year Lifespan Gender Gap between men and women, highlighting how preventable conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, injury, and suicide continue contributing to premature mortality among men. It discusses the structural, cultural, and healthcare-system barriers that often prevent men from engaging in preventive care early, including stigma, medical mistrust, workplace pressures, and norms surrounding self-reliance. The article also analyzes the proposed H.R. 7602 — State of Men’s Health Act, which would establish a national study on men’s health disparities and create an Office of Men’s Health within HHS to coordinate prevention and public awareness efforts. Throughout the piece, the response emphasizes that improving men’s health outcomes is not a zero-sum issue, but rather a broader public health, workforce, family, and community issue that benefits society as a whole through stronger preventive care, earlier intervention, and improved healthcare engagement.Continue reading

Boys Falling Off the Health-Care Map: And How We Keep Them Connected

This blog, reposted from Dominick Shattuck, PhD’s Substack with permission from the author, examines new research showing how many boys quietly disengage from preventive health care during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Drawing on findings from the Journal of Adolescent Health and decades of men’s health research, the piece explores how masculinity norms, low perceived risk, structural barriers, and unwelcoming health systems contribute to boys “falling off the health-care map.” It highlights why this early disengagement matters for long-term health outcomes and outlines practical, evidence-informed strategies for building health systems that keep boys connected to care before preventable problems become lifelong challenges.Continue reading

Prostate Cancer Needs More Than a Global Initiative: Ground-Level Action Needed

Men’s Health Network responds to Global Action on Men’s Health’s new report on prostate cancer with a call for urgent, ground-level action. While supporting a WHO-led global initiative, MHN stresses that real impact requires community outreach, empathy-driven education, and trusted local engagement. Prostate cancer is rising fast, especially among underserved men, yet too many go without screening or support. This Men’s Health Month, MHN urges policymakers and the public to bridge the empathy gap and take action now. Learn more, get involved, and help bring life-saving care to where men live, work, play, and pray.Continue reading

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