Happy Men's Health Week!  Humm, haven't heard of it? 

Well, Men's Health Week is recognized during the week leading up
to Father's Day (as in now) and heightens awareness of preventable
health problems by encouraging men and boys to see their doctor or health care provider to improve overall health.

Men's Health Week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and anyone really an opportunity to encourage men and boys to get regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.  As a wife and mother of two sons, I can tell you this is a difficult task!

The response has been overwhelming with hundreds of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.  For examples of activities and organizations that sponsor Men's Health Week you can check out their website at:  www.menshealthmonth.org/week/index.html
Sponsors of the event include the Washington Redskins and The Travelers Championship on the PGA tour.

If you're not a man, you might be thinking, why do I care?  Well, Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, said it best: " "Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just a man's issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men's health is truly a family issue." 

Men's Health Week is the result of action taken by Congress in 1994 to highlight issues and health care needs of men.  The following is a partial list of needs that were cited in the House and Senate bills that were authorized and signed into law:

• Whereas despite the advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of 7 years less than women;
• Whereas the likelihood that a man will develop prostate cancer is 1 in 11;
• Whereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men aged 15-34, and when detected early, has an 87 percent survival rate;
• Whereas the death rate for prostate cancer has grown at almost twice the death rate of breast cancer in the last five years;
• Whereas men are seven times as likely as women to be arrested for drunk driving and three times as likely to be alcoholics;
• Whereas women visit the doctor 150 percent as often as men enabling them to detect health problems in their early stages;
• Whereas significant numbers of male related health problems such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, and colon cancer, could be detected and treated if men's awareness of these problems was more pervasive;
• Whereas many men are reluctant to visit their health center or physician for regular screening examinations of male related problems for a variety of reasons including fear, lack of information, and cost factors...
  
• And the list goes on.

There's a list of things to do during Men's Health Week, most of which would have to be planned in advance, however, one of them is to wear blue some time this week, easy enough.  You can also play games outside or have a small party to honor the event (no doubt to encourage those who have not been to the doctor lately to make an appointment). The next is to check the dates for Men's Health Week for next year and be ready with health fairs or fund raisers.  Dates for next year's celebration have been set and are June 15-21, 2009.