Goals:

There is an ongoing, increasing and predominantly silent crisis in the health and well-being of men. Due to a lack of awareness, poor health education, and culturally induced behavior patterns in their work and personal lives, men's health and well-being are deteriorating steadily.

The men's health crisis is seen most dramatically in mortality figures. In 1920, the life expectancy of male s and females was roughly the same. Since that time and, increasingly, in the 1970's and 1980's, the life expectancy for men has dropped in comparison with that of women. Men's life expectancy now is over 10% lower than that of women. The average life expectancy (1991) for Black men is 65 years, that of Black women is 73 years. The average life expectancy for white men is 71 years, that of white women is 78 years. Over the last thirty years, the ratio of male mortality over female mortality has increased in every age category.

The Men's Health Network (MHN) was created to address the growing men's health crisis. The goals of MHN are as follows:

1. to save men's lives by reducing the premature mortality of men and boys
2. to increase the physical and mental health of men so that they can live fuller and happier lives
3. to significantly reduce the cycles of violence and addiction that afflict so many men.
4. Energize government involvement in men's health activities so that existing government health networks can be utilized to increase the health and well being of men and boys.
5. Encourage women to expand on their traditional role as the family's health care leader and activist for enhancement of health care services.

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Men's Health Network
P.O. Box 75972
Washington D.C. 20013
202-543-MHN1 (6461)
info@menshealthnetwork.org