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BRINGING MEN BACK INTO THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

A large percentage of men have only limited contact with physicians and the healthcare system as a whole. Men not only fail to get routine check-ups or preventative care, but often ignore symptoms or delay seeking medical attention when sick or in pain. These poor health habits take their toll – beginning at early ages and rising significantly as males reach retirement age.

Because INTEGRIS is determined to raise awareness of this “silent crisis” and turn the tide, they’ve implemented an innovative men’s health initiative, Men’s Health University (a.k.a. Men-U). It’s designed to educate men and their families on the importance of men taking charge of their own health. Established in 2004, Men-U consists of free screenings and information, physician seminars, an annual wellness fair held each September (the 2006 event drew more than 700 people), and this website devoted solely to men’s health.

By bringing men back into the healthcare system, INTEGRIS is helping them overcome one of their biggest health risks – that of just being a man. And knowledge is power. Even if males are aware of just two numbers, blood pressure and cholesterol, and take active steps to lower them if either reaches an unhealthy range, it can make a huge difference in their longevity.

NUMBER OF PREVENTABLE DEATHS IS SKYROCKETING

We’ve always heard that men are the stronger sex, but when it comes to health issues, clearly that’s not the case. Men’s health is in the midst of a crisis – not just in Oklahoma, but across the U.S. The statistics are alarming:

• In Oklahoma, of women with same-age spouses, 14% will find themselves widows as they enter retirement (ages 65-69)
• At any age, men are 40% more likely to die than women
• Men make half as many doctor visits as women
• On average, women outlive men by 7 years
• 90% of women have a personal physician; only 66% of men do

We’ve reached the point where men’s health problems and early mortality have been accepted as fact or a way of life. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There is much that men could do
to lengthen their lives.