Men’s health hasn’t gotten enough consideration when it comes to media campaigns or policy development. The approach to gender equality in healthcare has mostly concentrated on problems with women’s health. Men are reported to be four times more likely than women to commit suicide, to take drugs, and to pass away at a younger age. Many of these discrepancies are caused by societal factors connected to gender roles, even if there may be some biological explanations for the higher frequency and morbidity of some illnesses in males.
Masculinity, a common gender stereotype, is one of the most significant elements linked to gender inequality that affects males. Men’s health may suffer as a result, largely as a result of greater risk-taking. Society views taking risks as a positive quality in males, which frequently predisposes men to high-risk behaviors like reckless driving and disobeying traffic laws, making them more likely to be involved in collisions. This tendency toward taking risks contributes to alcoholism, smoking, and other risky behaviors. This risk-taking may occasionally be the consequence of peer pressure and is viewed as a required behavior to advance socially.
Being the family provider is another engrained gender role that generally falls on males. This creates an imbalance between work and play since males are supposed to priorities making money over all other pursuits. Long work days, little rest and sleep, skipping meals, and bad nutrition are “normalized” as traits of men.
These variables all have detrimental effects on health, increasing the chance of heart disease, diabetes, and mental problems. One of the factors contributing to the rising incidence of suicide among men is the increased perception of the need to “provide for the family.”
Because they view themselves as “male” and “strong,” men frequently disregard the signs of major illnesses like heart disease, depression, etc., and they also engage in denial when these conditions are identified. As a result, many hesitate to seek medical attention, which delays the detection of major conditions.
