Three studies suggest that, although men live shorter lives than women, their health receives little attention in health policies
In general, men’s life expectancy is lower than that of women, and they lose 16 per cent of their healthy life years due to illness or disability. A series of three articles published in The Lancet points out that these differences cannot be explained solely by biological factors, but also by social and economic conditions and other structural factors. Despite this, the articles highlight that men’s health continues to receive scant attention in health policies. The authors warn that this lack of attention leaves room for commercial interests and movements such as the ‘manosphere’ to influence the discourse on men’s health. They therefore call for it to be integrated into public policy, without framing it as an issue that competes with women’s health or with efforts to reduce gender inequalities.