How to sort out men's health - the definitive answer

The Men's Health Forum has published its definitive blueprint for improving men's health.

Getting It Sorted, which was launched at the Annual Public Health Forum in Brighton today, is based on two years of consultation across the men's health and public health fields. The most comprehensive and far-reaching document of its kind, Getting It Sorted makes the case for a new gender-specific approach from both government and the health system to 'mainstream' male health alongside female health.

Getting It Sorted looks at why men's health is unnecessarily poor and why men are reluctant users of health services. The report argues that here is no 'user-led' movement for better male health, as few men have campaigned or lobbied for improvement.There is also an accompanying Briefing Document for use when lobbying health-providers and policy-makers. Both can be downloaded below.

The Forum's policy officer David Wilkins, co-author of the report said 'Men are viewed negatively by some providers and policymakers because of male 'risk-taking' and because they appear unwilling to improve their own health. Gender is also under-recognised as a determinant of health, unlike social class and ethnicity, in Department of Health and primary care trust policies and programmes.'

Getting It Sorted provides a framework for improving the health of boys and men, to include:

Building 'healthy' public policy- Male health should be included in all health and relevant public policy (including education and employment policy, the criminal justice system, family law, etc.)
Creating supportive environments- Establish structures for health improvement at the places where men spend much of their time (e.g. the workplace, community and sports venues, pubs, etc.)
Strengthening community actions- Engage men from all walks of life in the process of change
Developing personal skills- Ensure individual men have the social skills necessary to utilise services effectively, the self-confidence to request and accept help and the ability to copy with changes in physical and mental functioning
Re-orienting health services- Change towards a pro-active approach to enhance good health and prevent illness

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