[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1325 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1325
Supporting the designation of the month of June 2024, as ``National
Men's Health Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2024
Mr. Carter of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Grothman, and
Mr. Lieu) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Accountability
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the designation of the month of June 2024, as ``National
Men's Health Month''.
Whereas, despite advances in medical technology and research, American men now
live an average of nearly 6 years less than women, and American Indian/
Alaska Native and African-American men have the lowest life expectancy;
Whereas heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, diabetes, chronic lower
respiratory diseases, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, influenza and
pneumonia, and Parkinson's disease according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, lead to death in men at a higher age-adjusted
rate than women;
Whereas the Lifespan Gender Gap grew through most of the 20th Century from less
than 2 years to 7.7 years before peaking in 1979 and then declining to
4.7 years in 2010 (a reduction of three full years) before increasing to
5.8 years in the most recent reports (an increase of more than one full
year);
Whereas the rise, fall and rise again of the Lifespan Gender Gap show that the
gap does respond to public policy and public education and that there is
nothing inevitable or inexorable about the premature death of men;
Whereas suicide is among the top 10 causes of death for men, with an overall
rate nearly 4 times higher than the rate for women and ranks as the
second highest cause of death for men in 2 age groups, from ages 1
through 19 and ages 20 through 44;
Whereas men on average experience a heart attack 7 years earlier than women;
Whereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between the
ages of 15 and 34, and when detected early, has a 95-percent survival
rate;
Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, the number of colorectal
cancer cases among men is expected to be over 80,000 in 2024, and over
28,320 men are expected to die from it;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 out of
every 100 American men will develop prostate cancer during their
lifetime;
Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 299,010 men will
be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024, and an estimated 35,250 of
them will die from the disease;
Whereas African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence of
prostate cancer;
Whereas African-American men are 1.76 times more likely to be diagnosed with,
and 2.20 times more likely to die from, prostate cancer compared to
White men;
Whereas significant numbers of predominantly male-related health problems, such
as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, and colon cancer,
could be detected and treated in the early stages if men were more
widely aware of the many early detection and screening tools and
preventive measures currently available;
Whereas educating both the public and health care providers about the importance
of early detection of male health problems will result in reducing rates
of mortality for these diseases;
Whereas appropriate use of tests such as prostate-specific antigen exams and
blood pressure and cholesterol screens, in conjunction with clinical
examination and self- testing for problems such as testicular cancer,
can result in the detection of many of these problems in their early
stages and proper treatment can nearly eliminate the risk of death from
prostate cancer and testicular cancer;
Whereas, according to the most widely cited study, the Cleveland Clinic MENtion
It Survey, two-thirds (65 percent) of men tend to wait as long as
possible to see their doctor if they have any health symptoms or an
injury, and among men surveyed, men ages 35 to 54 are more likely to
agree they tend to tough it out as long as possible before going to the
doctor (72 percent), compared to men 55 and up (59 percent);
Whereas women are nearly twice as likely as men to have visited the doctor in
the past year;
Whereas men are less likely than women to visit their health center or physician
for regular screening examinations of male-related problems for a
variety of reasons, including fear of learning or confirming health
status or condition, embarrassment, lack of health insurance, lack of
information, and high out-of-pockets costs;
Whereas ``National Men's Health Week'' was established by Congress and first
celebrated in 1994 and urges men and their families to engage in
appropriate health behaviors, and the resulting increased awareness has
improved health-related education and helped prevent illness;
Whereas the Governors of all 50 States have issued proclamations declaring Men's
Health Week in their States, as have mayors of over 350 cities;
Whereas since 1994, ``National Men's Health Week'' has been celebrated each June
by hundreds of States, cities, localities, public health departments,
health care entities, churches, and community organizations throughout
the Nation that promote health awareness events focused on men and
families;
Whereas men who are educated about the value that preventive health care can
play in prolonging their lifespan and their role as productive family
members will be more likely to participate in health screenings;
Whereas men and their families are encouraged to increase their awareness of the
importance of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and medical
checkups; and
Whereas, June 2024, is ``National Men's Health Month'', which has the purpose of
heightening the awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging
early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the annual ``National Men's Health Month'';
and
(2) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling upon the people of the United States and interested
groups to observe ``National Men's Health Month'' with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.
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