Men’s health counts

At school, every pupil is told that you need to know your numbers if you are to get on in life. This message is usually not welcomed at the time, but it’s a solid piece of advice. During Men’s Health Week 2024, everyone is — once again — being asked to ‘know your numbers’, but this time there will be a focus upon three different types of numbers:

1. Statistics on the state of men’s health that policymakers and service providers need to know if they are to address the issues facing men;
2. Key numbers that men, themselves, need to know, to take control over some elements of their own health; and
3. Critical contact numbers for help and support services that everyone needs to know at times of difficulty or crisis.

Men’s health really does count this year!  

So, what is Men’s Health Week?

International Men’s Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father’s Day and ends on Father’s Day itself. During 2024, it will run from Monday 10 until Sunday 16 June.

It is celebrated in many European countries, as well as in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide. The overall aims are to:

• Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of all ages:
• Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices/activities: and
• Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

It is coordinated locally by the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI).

 

Why is Men’s Health Week needed?

Males constitute almost 50 per cent of the population on the island of Ireland and, therefore, deserve to have a gender lens focused upon their specific health needs.

In recent years, a broad range of research has highlighted the challenges which face men and boys in Ireland and further afield. Indeed, many of the key hard facts were crystallised in the Men’s Health in Numbers publications (see mhfi.org > Resources). These show that:

• Men continue to die, on average, younger than women do;
• Poor lifestyles (including smoking, drinking, diet and lack of exercise) are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases;
• Males have higher death rates than women for almost all of the leading causes of death, and at all ages;
• Men’s mental health needs are often not recognised or met; and
• Late presentation to health services leads to a large number of problems becoming untreatable.

However, this is not a ‘lost cause’, and this situation can be improved in many significant ways.  More importantly, local pharmacies have a critical gatekeeper role to play in supporting these changes for the better.

 

Pharmacies as gatekeepers

In our post-COVID world, there is still a residual disconnection between health services and local people. However, even before COVID, it was well known that some men were not, necessarily, good at coming forward early enough to have their health issues dealt with in a timely way.

Yet, there is an important body of evidence which shows that pharmacies can (and do), play a critical gatekeeper role in being the first point of contact for promoting and improving the health of men and boys. Indeed, findings from research (mhfi.org/menandpharmacies.pdf) highlight that:

• Although many men are reluctant to visit their GP to seek advice or treatment, pharmacies can act as a first point of contact between these men and the medical world — especially as pharmacies also sell non-medical products which men need;
• Pharmacies have characteristics that men look for in a service — such as accessibility, flexibility and informality;
• Stores are local, spread across the country, and offer a non-threatening environment to men;
• Pharmacies offer ease of access — with no appointments necessary and long opening hours;
• Staff offer a friendly, relaxed, approachable service, and don’t rush men in and out;
• Pharmacists are recognised as experts on medication and treating minor ailments; and
• The advice given is free.

Pharmacies can, therefore, offer an on-street showcase for information which may increase awareness of the health issues facing men and boys. However, pharmacy staff are also well positioned to open-up conversations with men about their health needs, explore possible options and, if necessary, suggest that they may need to seek further expert assistance. As such, they play a crucial sign-poster role which has often been under-valued. But this is not one-way traffic . . . building relationships with men, and getting them to use local pharmacies more regularly, is also a sound business strategy!

 

How to get involved

Every pharmacy in Ireland can do something to mark MHW 2024 — the only limitation is imagination: put up some posters; create a men’s health window display; give out copies of the ‘Action Man – ten top tips for men’s health’ Man Manual; leave a batch of the ‘Do You Know Your Numbers’ z-cards on your counter for customers to lift a copy; Post/tweet about the week on social media; support a local men’s health event or activity; offer some basic health checks to men in your area . . . Doing even one of these simple suggestions will contribute hugely to improving the health of local men and boys.

Details of everything that you need to know about the week (including how to get free hard copies of the resources) can be found online at mhfi.org > MHW.