Several studies underline that there is a so-called HEALTH DISPARITY between men and women.
Globally the average male lifespan is 4 or 5 years shorter than the female lifespan and this discrepancy is even more in some countries.
To sum up, males have been found to have higher mortality rates than females.
Why?
Life style-related health problems, genetic predispositions, higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and malignant tumour after middle age, higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes, the superior function of the immune system in women, the protective effect of estrogen against various disease in women, environmental factors such as higher-risk occupations among males, a lower likelihood of seeking medical care.
When it comes to prevention and early detection, men’s health often takes a back seat to women’s health:
- Males are less likely to seek medical assistance for managing their health. Men are less likely to follow medical prescriptions and sometimes they refuse long term therapy.
- Males are more likely to disregard pathological conditions and pain and more likely to delay medical therapy.
- They are often more sensitive to disease with higher prevalence among males such as baldness and impotence rather than chronic disease.
- They are more likely to visit hospitals for the former type of condition than for the latter type. Men tend to ignore symptoms and wait for the symptoms to resolve naturally.
- Men are often hesitant to visit health care providers because of the stereotypical perception of masculinity.