Men's health in general practice aims to holistically manage health conditions common in men. Men die on average 6 years earlier than women, often due to external causes like accidents, suicide, and work-related injuries. General practices need to address masculinity norms and the specific health risks facing men, such as higher rates of smoking, drinking, drug use, and HIV/AIDS. Practices should create male-friendly environments, educate men about their health, and address issues like violence exposure that impact men.

2. Definition
 Men’s health in general practice is
defined as the holistic management of
health conditions and risks that are most
common or specific to men in order to
promote optimal physical, emotional and
social health in the general practice
setting.
 While male sexual health is important,
men’s health goes beyond sexual and
reproductive health.

3. Rationale
 Men less healthy than Women
 Die 6 years earlier 76.6 vs 82.6
 Especially 25 – 65 year age group
 Deaths in Men at age 25 X 3 more common
 25 - 44 year olds death from external causes
○ 1 Intentional self harm
○ 2 Transport deaths
○ 90% of Work related deaths occur in Males
 Consultations 2004-2005 (Beach)
 43.5% Male vs 56.5% female
 Children <15 highest
 15-24 and 25-44 lowest

4. Rationale
 General practice
 Challenge masculinity as defined in australian
culture
 Social development of boys
 Taking General practice to men
 Burden of disease
 Smoking 12% vs 7% in women
 12% males more likely to drink daily 5.*%
women
 More likely to use illicit drugs
 92% newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS male

5. Male Masculinity
 Masculinity has been identified as a key
factor leading both men and boys to risk
taking and self harming behaviours
 Masculine identity and behaviour vary
over the course of a man’s life
 also vary considerably according to cultural
and ethnic background, sexual identity,
socioeconomic and geographical locations

6. Wide range of Masculinities
 men living in rural and isolated areas
 non-Australian born men
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men
 Poverty
 Incarceration
 Low self esteem
 older men
 men with a disability
 men affected by mental illness
 war and armed service veterans
 men with other special needs such as divorced and
separated men who may, or may not be primary carers.
 Gay Men

7. Violence
 Men are more likely to be both the
perpetrators of violence and its victims
 Exposure of boys to violence during their
formative years contributes to a range of
issues
 homelessness,
 drug use,
 depression,
 relationship difficulties
 perpetuation of the cycle of violence later in their
lives.

8. Communication skills and the
patient-doctor relationship
 Men are less likely to discuss their
health problems with their GP

9. Applied professional knowledge
and skills
 Men are at higher risk of mortality than
women at all ages
 General practitioners should educate
men about how their bodies function and
their special health needs, especially in
the link between lifestyle risks and
diseases

10. Population health and the
context of general practice
 General practitioners need to be aware
of the range of key medical conditions
and lifestyle risk factors affecting men in
order to successfully promote men’s
health needs

11. Professional and ethical role
 General practitioners need to identify
when a male patient may prefer to see a
male doctor

12. Organisational and legal
dimensions
 General practices need to be aware of
the requirements for effective delivery of
men’s health care
 routine opportunistic health promotion
into male patient consultations
 creating more male friendly
environments
 How?

13. Man Friendly Environments
 Using men’s health posters and displays of information
related to men
 providing evening clinics or appointment schedules that
accommodate men working shifts or commuting over
distances
 promoting a front of office culture which acknowledges
men’s problems with appointments and waiting times
 And providing as broad a range of services as possible
either within the walls of general practices or via
cooperative arrangements with other local providers.
 General practitioners may need to offer services in areas
where men congregate such as offering clinics at sporting
facilities, in workplaces or entertainment areas, while
seeking to coordinate and
 cooperate with existing general practices and other health
service provider