It can be tough to be a man in today’s society.
Mental ill health is on the rise, preventable killers such as heart disease and prostate cancer are being caught far too late, and most shocking of all, suicide remains the leading cause of death of men under 50.
At the same time, lots of boys—particularly those from working class backgrounds like mine—are being led astray by a proliferation of harmful influences and left feeling isolated and confused by the bombardment of conflicting messages about what it means to be a man.
We also know that men can be less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence. This, combined with a higher propensity to smoke, drink and use drugs, all adds up to a crisis in men’s health that ripples through families, workplaces and communities.
Healthy life expectancy for men has reduced by one and a half years in the last decade. It is a warning siren we can no longer ignore.
This first-ever Men’s Health Strategy for England is our response. The result of listening to the voices of men, experts, men’s groups, charities, campaigners and partners, it not only shines a light on the fact that men’s health has been neglected for too long, it sets us up to tackle the injustices and inequalities they face.