How the healthcare system discriminates against men and what to do about it

“There is clear evidence of unnecessarily poor health outcomes for men… socio-cultural factors rather than biology is the principal driver of these inequities… Men have been subject to systematic neglect in terms of global policy and funding…”  - The Lancet, 202300428-X/fulltext). 

We should devote more attention and resources to men’s health.

In the United States, men’s life expectancies have trailed women’s life expectancies for more than a century. As of 2023, American women on average outlived American men by more than five years. 

Men are more vulnerable to most major illnesses. For example, COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS have caused more male deaths than female deaths. While some disease funding is male‐skewed, this does not come close to offsetting deficiencies in attention to male health overall. 

Men are overrepresented in the most dangerous professions. Many struggle to access primary care services because of work commitments that keep them from seeing a doctor during normal business hours.[[1]](#_ftn1) They’re more likely than women to be uninsured. Men are more likely to face discrimination under the legal system, particularly in sentencing, divorce court, and family court. 

These stressors contribute to men making up the vast majority of job deaths, suicides, drug- and alcohol-related deaths, prisoners, and homeless adults.

How Public Health Policy Neglects Men

For too long, men have been overlooked and underserved in healthcare.

Most Americans support gender equality. However, our healthcare policies unfairly prioritize the lives and well-being of women over those of men. Want proof? Just look at our own bureaucracy.

For decades, we’ve had many federal-level and state-level offices, committees, and task forces dedicated to the health of women and girls. You’d think there would be at least as many dedicated to the health of men and boys.

There aren’t.

As of 2024, the U.S. federal government had 10 offices and committees devoted to women's health.

The number of federal offices devoted to men's health?

Zero.

Other examples of systemic neglect of men’s health abound:

• The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides thorough, annual “well‑woman” visits that include a variety of preventive health services and screening tests for women at no cost. The ACA provides no equivalent “well-man” visits for men. 
• The ACA covers screening for breast cancer—the leading cause of cancer in women. However, it does not cover screening for prostate cancer—the leading cause of cancer in men. Funding for breast cancer research consistently exceeds funding for prostate cancer research. 
• The ACA covers more contraceptive services for women than men. Women have access to more than a dozen contraceptive options. Men have only two widely available methods. 
• The ACA offers 27 health services exclusively to women free of charge. It offers zero health services exclusively to men free of charge.  
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has consistently spent about twice as much on women’s health as men’s health, as Dr. James Nuzzo’s review of NIH funding data has shown. 
• In 1994, the NIH sponsored twice as many female-only studies (219) as male-only studies (95). Between 1995 and 2020, women on average made up more than 57% of participants in NIH-funded clinical trials. 

A thorough list of examples favoring women and disfavoring men in healthcare would be much longer than this. If you’re someone who cares about equal rights for men and the lives of men, these institutional biases should bother you. 

Our current system shortchanges men in health care services access, public health outreach, and resources dedicated to men’s health. 

What Can I Do To Promote Equal Rights in Healthcare? 

Don’t passively accept discrimination against men in healthcare. 

Tell elected officials that men’s health deserves more attention and funding. 

Here are some concrete steps you can take. Encourage your senators, representatives, and other key decisionmakers to support initiatives like the following: 

·         Vote for the Men’s Health Awareness and Improvement Act (H.R. 4182, 118th Congress). This bill proposes to establish an Office of Men’s Health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It would require that HHS support men’s health programs and initiatives. 

·         Establish an ACA “well-man” prevention-focused health visit to match the existing “well-woman” preventive visits reserved for women. Incentivize more men to seek preventive care, including via extended clinic hours and telemedicine. Back the creation of additional, low-cost birth control options for men.    

·         Promote national observances like “National Men’s Health Month” and “National Men’s Health Week” in June. Such observances can raise awareness of men’s health, and help to change institutional priority. 

You can also become a Men’s Health Network Ambassador. Urge employers and professional networks to value men’s health. Educate others about the importance of healthy lifestyles, risk management, and preventive care. 

What else should we be doing? 

Leave a reply below to let us know, and let your elected representatives know too.

https://ncfm.org/2025/10/news/uncategorized/ncfm-mens-health-what-you-can-do-to-help/