Men’s Health Week 2020

Men’s Health Week is part of a larger Men’s Health Month that was established to help bring awareness to preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among boys and men. Some areas of health that are highlighted are mental health, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, testicular and colon cancers, and vision health.

The facts are clear that men are more likely to die under certain circumstances, including the below examples:

• Men die an average of 5 years younger than women
• Men are more likely to die by suicide
• Men do not see physicians as often for regular examinations
• Men are more likely to be uninsured
• Men are more likely to be homicide victims
• Men are more likely to die of heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and HIV

As recognized in North Dakota, Men’s Health Month seeks to raise awareness of the importance of preventative healthcare and healthy lifestyles for men.  The need for additional awareness of these issues is clear — men have a lower life expectancy than women.  To help bridge that gap, preventative health care and regular check-ups are crucial.

Each year, Men’s Health Week is celebrated with Wear Blue Friday, the Friday before Father’s Day.  This year Wear Blue Friday is on June 19, 2020. To help raise awareness for men’s health, wear blue on June 19, 2020 and encourage the men in your life to recognize the importance of a healthy lifestyle, healthy attitude, and preventative health practices.

Below is a list of the recommended checkups and screenings and how frequently they should be done based on different age categories.  For additional information about Men’s Health Week you can visit their website here.