PRAMS for DADS: Development of a Pilot Study

On December 11th, 2018, posted in: News by Comments Off on PRAMS for DADS: Development of a Pilot Study

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Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System for Dads: Public Health Surveillance of New Fathers in the Perinatal Period

On December 11th, 2018, posted in: News by Comments Off on Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System for Dads: Public Health Surveillance of New Fathers in the Perinatal Period

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Use of secondary contraception following vasectomy: insights from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2007–2011

On December 11th, 2018, posted in: News by Comments Off on Use of secondary contraception following vasectomy: insights from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2007–2011

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Learn the latest in men’s health at these sessions at the 2016 APHA Annual Meeting

On October 1st, 2016, posted in: News by Comments Off on Learn the latest in men’s health at these sessions at the 2016 APHA Annual Meeting

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Bi-Partisan Congressional Men’s Health Caucus Established

On April 2nd, 2015, posted in: News by Comments Off on Bi-Partisan Congressional Men’s Health Caucus Established

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2015

Bi-Partisan Congressional Men’s Health Caucus Established 

Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) and Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) have joined together in a bi-partisan effort to improve the health and wellbeing of men and boys by co-chairing the newly reauthorized Congressional Men’s Health Caucus.

The Caucus is dedicated to raising awareness of male health issues, encouraging men and boys to take an active role in their personal health, and promoting legislation that will have a positive impact on the health of American men, boys, and their families. The Caucus will work closely with Men’s Health Network (MHN), a nationally-recognized non-profit, to ensure that health issues affecting men and boys have a place in government healthcare priorities.

“I am pleased to join Congressman Markwayne Mullin in leading the Congressional Men’s Health Caucus,” said Congressman Payne, Jr. “After witnessing my father lose his battle to colorectal cancer, it became my mission to raise awareness about the importance of preventive care and to help reduce health disparities across diseases, from cancer to diabetes. As co-chair of the Caucus, I look forward to continuing this important work and to encouraging men to be proactive about their health.” 

“I consider fitness a necessity to a good life,” said Congressman Mullin.  “So I’m proud to help lead the Men’s Health Caucus in its mission to promote healthy living across the country.  It’s incredibly important that our nation’s youth understand how to exercise and eat right so that they can live healthy, productive lives.”

The Caucus has again established a Prostate Cancer Task Force, which is charged with increasing the public’s awareness of prostate cancer—the most prevalent form of cancer in men. The Task Force will highlight outreach to three groups that have especially high risk of developing prostate cancer: African Americans, Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and individuals with a family history of the disease.

The Caucus also aims to focus on topics of importance to military veterans. Seventy to eighty percent of veterans don’t use the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for their health care, and many suffer from physical or mental conditions related to their military service.

 “Men live sicker and die younger than women. They have unique risks at each stage of life,” said Dr. David Gremillion, who sits on the Men’s Health Network Board of Directors and is a former President of the Society of Air Force Physicians.  “Men’s Health Network greatly appreciates the commitment of the Men’s Health Caucus for their efforts on behalf of improving the health status of men, including veterans of the Armed Services.”

In previous sessions the Caucus, working with Men’s Health Network, has led briefings on topics such as prostate cancer screening, traumatic brain injury and urological health issues.  The Caucus plans to continue these efforts to educate Congress and the general public about important topics in male health.

“Men’s health issues have never existed in a vacuum,” said Dr. Jean Bonhomme, Founder and Executive Director of the National Black Men’s Health Network and member of the Men’s Health Network Board of Directors.  “Premature, unnecessary male death, illness and disability negatively impact the economy as a whole, causing lost hours from work, diminished work productivity, and the added expense of training replacement workers. Men’s illnesses impair family stability and can undermine the health of women and children directly, emotionally and economically.  The establishment of a Congressional Men’s Health Caucus promises benefits to society reaching far beyond men as a demographic and is an indispensable step towards building a complete and inclusive health care system.”

Steve Petty, Chair of the American Public Health Association (APHA) Men’s Health Caucus, added, “The APHA Men’s Health Caucus has been working hand in hand with Men’s Health Network to continue our strategy of promoting the importance of male health across the United States. Working on the same goals as the Congressional Men’s Health Caucus, we can increase the scope and reach of our messages, and dramatically impact male health across the country.”

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Healthy Fathers, Sexual Health and Effective Outreach to Men; Focus of Presentations at the Men’s Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association

On December 4th, 2014, posted in: News by Comments Off on Healthy Fathers, Sexual Health and Effective Outreach to Men; Focus of Presentations at the Men’s Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association

Press Release

For Immediate Release
December 3, 2014

Healthy Fathers, Sexual Health and Effective Outreach to Men; Focus of Presentations at the Men’s Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association

Partners with Women’s Health Caucus and Maternal and Child Health Caucus to help promote a healthy males / healthy babies agenda

December 3, 2014 – Members of the Men’s Health Caucus (MHC), a formal constituency group of the American Public Health Association (APHA) met during the APHA 142nd Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA from November 15-19, 2014.

The MHC received 110 scientific research, community programming and policy abstracts for selection for presentation at the conference, representing a broad range of expert work that has a positive impact on advancing the overall health of boys and men.   This year’s selections were presented during the conference with topics ranging from male teen engagement boys on pregnancy prevention and building healthy families through programs for expectant fathers, mental health and masculinity; a listing of the session titles is found below.

The MHC is also working on several public policy platforms including those focusing on increasing research specific to delivery of gender specific health messages to boys and men, and to broaden access of health services to fathers as well as mothers during pregnancy.  The Men’s Health Caucus Policy Agenda can be found here:

www.menshealthcaucus.net/wp-content/uploads/APHA-Mens-Health-Caucus-Agenda.pdf

During its business meeting, members of MHC re-affirmed its commitment to making this group a marketplace to foster dialogue and broad based action to advance the health of boys and men.

During the APHA conference, MHC collaborated with several other population groups including the Women’s Health and other caucuses for programs and outreach.  Men’s Health Network and Johnson & Johnson sponsored a joint reception of the MHC and Paternal Involvement In Pregnancy Outcomes Committee of the Maternal and Child Health Caucus. MHC Chair, Dr. S. Giorgianni reaffirmed the commitment of the group to work collaboratively with all caucuses who care about the involvement of fathers to support healthy pregnancy planning, support and outreach that welcomes traditional and non-traditional fathers in our communities.

The MHC announces the transition of leadership for the group with the following individuals assuming their duties for 2014-2016:

Stephen D. Petty, MA – Chair
Ana Fadich, MPH, CHES – Chair-Elect
R. Daniel Duquette, PhD, CHES – Program Chair
Brandon Leonard, MA – Secretary

For further information on any of these organizations visit them at: 

Men’s Health Caucus – www.menshealthcaucus.net
Men’s Health Network  – www.menshealthnetwork.org
American Public Health Association – www.apha.org

Session Titles for Major Presentations At the 2014 American Public Health Association by the Men’s Health Caucus.

• Let’s Hear It For The Boys:  Continuing the conversation about gender focused views of sexual health.  Presented in collaboration with the Women’s Caucus of the APHA

• Getting The Drop On Cancer: Knowledge And Perceptions Around Cancer Screening And Prevention

• “Hey Man, Are You Listening?”  Community health programs reaching men

• Beyond The Bars: Addressing social determinants of incarceration and re-entry programs

• Masculinity: The impact on health decision making

• Paternal Involvement In Pregnancy Outcomes: The AYA male toolkit

Posters presented.

• Gun violence and minority men: A community-based approach to inform prevention

• Clipper Clinic

• Other half of the equation: Where are the boys in adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs

• Examination of neighborhood factors associated with diet and physical activity among African American Men, 50 years and older

• Promoting Oral Health and Community-Based Participatory Research: The Minority Men’s Oral Health and Dental Access Program (MOHDAP)

• Other Invisible Wounds: Sexual Functioning in Military Service Members and Veterans

• Who are the African American men recruited in Barbershop studies?

• Healthy Kappas/Healthy Communities: Learning how to address our brothers’ health needs

• Towards RESPECT: How Existing Program Data Informed the Development of a Heterosexual male approach to Social and Behavioral Change

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Why men should be prepared for disasters: Q&A with Integris Health’s Steve Petty

On June 30th, 2014, posted in: News by Comments Off on Why men should be prepared for disasters: Q&A with Integris Health’s Steve Petty

June is Men’s Health Month, a great time to remind American men and boys that they need to be prepared for emergencies. Steve Petty is director of community health improvement for Integris Health, Oklahoma’s largest hospital network, and administrative director of the network’s Men’s Health University, a health screening event for men. Check out what Petty, who is a member of APHA’s Men’s Health Caucus and the Men’s Health Network, recommends.
APHA recently partnered with March of Dimes to promote preparedness for pregnant mothers and families with infants. How can emergency readiness specifically improve men’s health?
Personal consideration and preparation for emergencies leads to a more confident and content state of mind. Having a plan for the critical actions during an emergency improves the chance that such individuals will escape harm. The entire family unit benefits from men who engage in emergency readiness planning.
You’ve spoken of the “silent health crisis” facing American men, who live on average five years fewer than women. One reason is because men take more risks. Does this put men at greater risk during public health disasters?
The life expectancy gap between men and women is, in many cases, due to our different biological makeup, but it is also the socialization and lifestyles which highly influence health outcomes. As young boys, many are taught that big boys don’t cry, leading to the “macho man” attitude where men are expected to ignore health concerns and push through the pain.
Also, studies that have been performed to date show some variations in mortality rates during disasters. Men are more likely to suffer severe consequences psychologically, like suicide, following a disaster.
They are less likely for the most part to seek care for emotional problems and often remain symptomatic for longer periods of time when compared to women. A few studies demonstrate that one response to stress — particularly following large-scale disasters — is that men increase the frequency of risk-taking behaviors.
It is thought that the increase in such risk taking behavior might be decreased if men were encouraged to participate in debriefing or defusing activities.
Fill in the blanks for APHA’s Get Ready Blog readers and your Oklahoma City communities: “I pledge to help men prepare for emergencies by ________”
I have so many recommendations here, including:
• considering how we can promote emergency preparedness among men in the community;
• identifying “at risk” men following community disasters and providing access to counseling and support activities;
• providing education and operational training for emergency health care providers, community members and other major stakeholders regarding emergency preparedness and men;
• promoting the importance of men taking charge of their health/wellness for themselves and for the sake of their families; and
• creating awareness of the importance of regular health checkups with a physician or health care provider.
It’s also important for men — and women, for that matter — to have regular checkups, so that screening tests can detect health problems early, when they are easier to treat.
June is a great opportunity to set an appointment with your health care provider, or you can stop by one of the many health stations now found in retail settings. A great place to find the information you may need before and after that visit is the online Men’s Health Online Resource Center.
This article was originally published on the APHA Get Ready blog and can be found here.

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Celebrating 20 years of National Men’s Health Week

On June 23rd, 2014, posted in: News by Comments Off on Celebrating 20 years of National Men’s Health Week

June 9-15 was National Men’s Health Week, a health observance coordinated by the Men’s Health Network and celebrated each year as the week leading up to, and including, Father’s Day. The week, which coincides with June’s Men’s Health Month, is intended to “heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.”

Salvatore J. Giorgianni, Jr., PharmD, chair of APHA Men’s Health Caucus, shared his insight on the keys to men’s health — notably “awareness, prevention, education and family” — in a conversation with Public Health Newswire.

2014 marks 20 years since National Men’s Health Week, or NMHW, was passed by Congress and signed by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton. NMHW was sponsored by Senator Bob Dole and Congressman Bill Richardson and is celebrated each year as the week that ends on Father’s Day. Following the lead of Congress, governors of 47 states and Washington, D.C., joined by mayors of over 40 cities, have issued proclamations in 2014 creating Men’s Health Week in their jurisdictions.

In the 20 years since NMHW passage this outreach has encouraged the development of thousands of health awareness activities throughout the month of June both in the U.S. and around the globe. Corporations, hospital systems, clinics, the faith-based community, the public sector, and others highlight their services and reach out to boys, men and those that love them.

NMHW was built around four pillars: awareness, prevention, education and family. This has resulted in countless campaigns that focus on raising awareness about health issues affecting men and boys. The awareness and outreach does not involve men alone, but is also a family matter. Men’s health advocates, in particular those who are a part of the APHA Men’s Health Caucus, encourage all men, and especially dads, to become role models for their children and health leaders in the community — not only during this week but every week.

Recognizing that many diseases that affect boys and men can be prevented, outreach and events during NMHW week encourage men, boys and those who love them to develop positive health attitudes, engage in preventive behaviors, lead healthy lifestyles and seek timely medical advice and care.

Perhaps most importantly, these 20 years of activity have seen a marked improvement in the health and wellbeing of men and boys, with a dramatic improvement in life expectancy and surprising drops in key mortality indicators. There has been a steep drop among males in overall mortality, and corresponding improvements in the mortality rates for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Tables illustrating those improvements can be found at Men’s Health Network.

The Men’s Health Caucus of APHA acknowledges the tireless work of the Men’s Health Network, a national non-profit organization, for its leadership in establishing this proclamation and its advocacy for over two decades to enhance the health of boys and men and their families.

This article was originally published on the public health newswire and can be found here.

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2014 Men’s Health Caucus Abstract Submission Now Open

On December 16th, 2013, posted in: News by

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Working in men’s health? Want to present your work to thousands of public health and academic colleagues? Men’s Health Caucus call for abstract submission starts today, Monday 12/16.

The Men’s Health Caucus (within the American Public Health Association) is currently accepting abstracts for submission for the 142nd annual APHA conference, which will be held in New Orleans, LA, from November 15-19 2014. The theme for 2014 is Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-being.

The deadline for submission is SundayFebruary 16, 2014, 11:59 p.m. PST. Abstracts are limited to 250 words. Those whose abstracts are accepted for presentation will be asked to give 15-minute oral presentations or to present their work in an hour-long poster session.

Please contact our Program Planner, Ana Fadich, by email (HealthyFamilies@menshealthnetwork.org) if you have questions about the topic areas or abstracts. For more information, or to submit an abstract, click here .

Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Chronic disease prevention
  • Community based programs/outreach (i.e. faith-based, workplace/occupational, etc)
  • Economic aspect of male health
  • Alaskan Native/American Indian health
  • Chronic disease management
  • Family health (i.e. fatherhood, pregnancy, domestic violence, etc)
  • Global men’s health
  • Health equity for boys & men (geographic variation/disparities, access to care. etc)
  • Male health across the lifespan
  • Male health policy
  • Masculinity
  • Mental health
  • Nutrition / physical activity / obesity
  • Reproductive health (fertility, family planning, etc)
  • Sexual health (relationships, STIs, etc)
  • Social determinants of male health
  • Veterans / military

Submit your abstract here.

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APHA Men’s Health Caucus a Huge Success

On November 18th, 2013, posted in: News by Comments Off on APHA Men’s Health Caucus a Huge Success

Earlier this month, the Men’s Health Caucus was at APHA in Boston and hosted sessions discussing men’s health issues both before and during the conference.

This year, the caucus presented seven sessions which highlighted over 30 researchers in the field of men’s health. Thank you to all of the presenters who participated. Men’s Health Caucus will be sending information to all members about the upcoming 2014 abstract submission in December.

You can join the Men’s Health Caucus, get more information on the APHA Annual Meeting, learn more about the health and well being of men and boys, and read a daily news feed here.

MHN was also in attendance and was able to talk with hundreds of individuals and groups interested in health and health advocacy who stopped at the booth.

Be sure to also view our photos from the event on our Facebook page, here.

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