Crisis of Men’s Health
OVERVIEW
- Men face a shorter lifespan than women, by nearly 6 years.
- The suicide rate for males 15-24 years-old rose by 26%, from 2010 to 2023.
- Each year, 200,000-250,000 men ages 25-64 die from accidents, heart disease, suicide and other causes. These causes are largely preventable.
- The annual lost productivity due to these deaths exceeds $400 billion annually.
- When an elderly man dies, his wife faces a three-times greater risk of being admitted to a nursing home.
- The crisis for racial and ethnic minorities is especially severe.—>
Women Are Strongly Affected by Early Male Mortality
- Casey Walker: Why Women Should Be Passionate About Men’s Health
- Affected Areas:
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- Emotional and psychological trauma from bereavement
- Increased burdens of daily living
- Higher out-of-pocket medical expenditures
- Elevated poverty risk
- Three times greater risk of being admitted to a nursing home
- 48% greater risk of widowhood mortality
LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
Efforts currently are underway to establish men’s health programs around the country:
State-level Initiatives
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- California: Assembly Bill 1956 will amend the state Health and Safety Code to list boys and young men as a priority population of the Office of Suicide Prevention.
- Maryland: House Bill 341 to establish a Maryland Commission for Boys’ and Men’s Health.
- Virginia: SB447 to create an Advisory Commission for Boys and Men. Signed into law on April 13, 2026!
Federal Initiatives
- Proposed legislation:
- American Medical Association: Resolution to Establish Federal and State Offices of Men’s Health
- Annalisa Merelli: Momentum Builds for a Federal Office of Men’s Health
- Dominick Shattuck: A Turning Point for Men’s Health Policy in North America?
Coalition for an Office of Men’s Health
- Visit our Twitter page!
- The State of Men’s Health Act will establish an Office of Men’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- See Dominick Shattuck: Why the U.S. Needs a Federal Strategy on Men’s Health
- Members of the Coalition for an Office of Men’s Health:
- American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Men’s Health Member Interest Group
- American Men’s Health Nursing Alliance
- Foundation for Male Studies
- Healthy Men, Inc.
- John Henry Institute on Black Men’s Health and Policy Innovation
- Men Are Good
- Men’s Health Program at Metropolitan State University, Denver
- National Coalition for Men
- SAVE
- Washington Initiative for Boys and Men
- Working Well With Men
- If your organization would like to join the Coalition, contact info@saveservices.org.
- Promote the Office of Men’s Health during International Men’s Health Week, celebrated in June.
- Presidential Message on National Men’s Health Week, 2025: “For far too long, the health, happiness, and well-being of our Nation’s men have been neglected…This neglect has been compounded by a vicious campaign against masculinity.”
INTERNATIONAL
- Articles:
- Global Action on Men’s Health: Delivering Men’s Health
- European Union: The State of Men’s Health in Europe
- Morna Cornell: Men’s Health Policies: Long Overdue
- ICMB: The Power of Men’s Health (Powerpoint)
OTHER
- Fathers:
- Edward Bartlett: The Effects of Fatherhood on the Health of Men: A Review of the Literature
- Andres Villaveces et al: Orphanhood and Caregiver Death Among Children in the United States
- Suicide Prevention:
- Allison Parshall: Young Adult Suicide Rates Dropped After U.S. Launched 988 Hotline
- Tom Golden: How Finland Faced Its Suicide Crisis Head-On
- Tom Golden: Finland Acted, America Shrugs
PRESS RELEASES
- April 23: Virginia Becomes First State to Create Commission for Boys and Men
- February 26: Growing Momentum Across the Nation to Remedy ‘Crisis’ of Men’s Health
- December 3: American Medical Association Passes Resolution to Establish Offices of Men’s Health
- July 23: 60 Organizations Call on DHHS to Promptly Establish Office of Men’s Health