Men's Health

It’s never too early to get information that can save your life or keep you healthy! For that reason the FIT/UCE EAP wants to remind you that June 9^th – June 15^th is National Men’s Health Week (NMHW). First signed into law by President Clinton on May 31, 1994, NMHW is celebrated each year during the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. Its purpose is to increase awareness about the benefits of early detection and treatment of health problems affecting men and boys. 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.  (Congressional Record, H3905-H3906,May 24, 1994.)

The FIT/UCE Employee Assistance Program wants to encourage employees, both male and female, to become active participants in their own health care. We would like to remind you that we are available to confidentially discuss your concerns, help you locate necessary referrals, and devise a proactive plan to ensure good health for you and your loved ones.

Despite much media attention about the importance of taking charge of your health, surveys have shown that men are still more reluctant to seek help for medical and mental health problems than women. Yet they die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death. A 2001 study from The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that women were 100% more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men. According to statistics compiled by the Men’s Health Network, depression in men is often undiagnosed, contributing to the fact that men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. Men are socialized from an early age to not ask for help, to hold feelings in, and to think they “should be able to handle it.”

It is estimated that at least six million men suffer from depression. Their way of experiencing it may differ from women, in that they are more likely to acknowledge feelings of fatigue, irritability, loss of interest in work and hobbies, and describe feelings of sleeplessness. On the other hand, women often describe feelings of sadness, worthlessness and excessive feelings of guilt.

The importance of recognizing conditioning, resistances, fears, and excuses for taking proper care of oneself physically and emotionally cannot be taken too lightly.  Information is power and potentially life saving.  How much do you really know about signs and symptoms of depression?  What are signs and symptoms of prostate cancer? Low testosterone? Heart disease?  We invite you to take the “Time Out For Men’s Health” Quiz and see if you, or someone close to you, have any potential problems that need further attention.

The Men’s Health Network, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association suggest the following screening guidelines:

For Men in their 20’s:

·   A complete physical every two to four years

·   Check blood pressure every two years

·   Screening for cancers of the thyroid, testicles, lymph nodes, mouth and skin, every three years

·   Cholesterol test for total and HDL (the good kind), every five years

·   Testicular self exam

In their 30’s, all of the above, plus:

·   A complete physical every  two years

In their 40’s all of the above, plus:

·   A complete physical every year

·   A prostate specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectum exam (DRE) test, every year in a high risk group

·   Cancer tests every year

In their 50’s, all of the above, plus: 

·   A sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy (for colon cancers) every three to five years

·   A stool test (for colon or rectal cancers) every three to five years

·   A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam (DRE) test every year

Take the "Time Out for Men's Health" Quiz:
http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/timeout/assets/legal-assessment.pdf

Some Helpful Resources:

1.      Healthfinder - Healthfinder is a free gateway to reliable consumer health information developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthfinder can lead you to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, and support and self-help groups, as well as the government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that produce reliable information for the public.
http://www.healthfinder.gov

2.      MEDLINEplus - MedlinePlus provides access to extensive information about specific diseases and conditions and also has links to consumer health information from the National Institutes of Health, dictionaries, lists of hospitals and physicians, health information in Spanish and other languages, and clinical trials.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

3.      Men's Health - This web site links to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about men's health issues.
http://www.cdc.gov/men

4.      Real Men. Real Depression - On this web site you will learn about depression in men, the signs and symptoms of depression, treatment and getting help, and personal stories from men suffering from depression.
http://menanddepression.nimh.nih.gov

6.      Men's Health Center (Copyright © MFMER) - This web site helps you find information on health issues key to men, including prostate health, sexual health, STDs and fertility.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mens-health/MC99999

7.      National Men's Health Week - Men's Health Week is celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father's Day. The purpose of Men's Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
http://www.menshealthweek.org

       8.    Men’s Health Network
                http://www.menshealthnetwork.org
 

Organizations:

1. Administration on Aging, HHS
    
2. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, OPHS, HHS
    
3. Cancer.gov
    
4. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS
    
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    
6. Fatherhood Initiative
    
7. Food and Drug Administration, HHS
    
8. Health Resources Services Administration, HHS
    
9. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, HHS
    
10. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, HHS
     
11. National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS
     
12. National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
     
13. National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, HHS
     
14. National Institutes of Health, OPHS, HHS
     
15. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
     
16. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
     
17. Men's Health Network

Remember the FIT/UCE EAP, located in Room DC35, extension 7-5600, is available for confidential consultation to assist you in developing an action plan to keep you healthy, as well as coping more effectively with whatever health challenges you may encounter.

How to find us:

Our office is located in the D Building, lower level Room DC35
 

Mondays & Thursdays-9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM