Whereas, despite advances in medical technology and research, American men now live an average of nearly 6 years less than women, and American Indian/Alaska Native and African-American men have the lowest life expectancy;

Whereas heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, influenza and pneumonia, and Parkinson’s disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead to death in men at a higher age-adjusted rate than women;

Whereas African American and Hispanic men have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, compared to non-Hispanic White men and are less likely to seek care from a health professional;

Whereas the Lifespan Gender Gap grew through most of the 20th Century from less than 2 years to 7.7 years before peaking in 1979 and then declining to 4.7 years in 2010 (a reduction of three full years) before increasing to 5.3 years in the most recent reports;

Whereas the rise, fall and rise again of the Lifespan Gender Gap show that the gap does respond to public policy and public education and that there is nothing inevitable or inexorable about the premature death of men;

Whereas suicide is among the top 10 causes of death for men, with an overall rate nearly 4 times higher than the rate for women and ranks as the second highest cause of death for men in 2 age groups, from ages 1 through 19 and ages 20 through 44;

Whereas men on average experience a heart attack 7 years earlier than women;

Whereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between the ages of 15 and 34, and when detected early, has a 95-percent survival rate;

Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, the number of colorectal cancer cases among men is expected to be over 110,000 in 2025, and over 64,000 men are expected to die from it;

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 out of every 100 American men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime;

Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 313,780 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2025, and an estimated 35,770 of them will die from the disease;

Whereas African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence of prostate cancer;

Whereas African-American men are 1.76 times more likely to be diagnosed with, and 2.20 times more likely to die from, prostate cancer compared to White men;

Whereas significant numbers of predominantly male-related health problems, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, and colon cancer, could be detected and treated in the early stages if men were more widely aware of the many early detection and screening tools and preventive measures currently available;

Whereas educating both the public and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems will result in reducing rates of mortality for these diseases;

Whereas appropriate use of tests such as prostate-specific antigen exams and blood pressure and cholesterol screens, in conjunction with clinical examination and self- testing for problems such as testicular cancer, can result in the detection of many of these problems in their early stages and proper treatment can nearly eliminate the risk of death from prostate cancer and testicular cancer;

Whereas, according to the most widely cited study, the Cleveland Clinic MENtion It Survey, two-thirds (65 percent) of men tend to wait as long as possible to see their doctor if they have any health symptoms or an injury, and among men surveyed, men ages 35 to 54 are more likely to agree they tend to tough it out as long as possible before going to the doctor (72 percent), compared to men 55 and up (59 percent);

Whereas women are nearly twice as likely as men to have visited the doctor in the past year;

Whereas men are less likely than women to visit their health center or physician for regular screening examinations of male-related problems for a variety of reasons, including fear of learning or confirming health status or condition, embarrassment, lack of health insurance, lack of information, and high out-of-pockets costs;

Whereas National Men’s Health Week was established by Congress and first celebrated in 1994 and urges men and their families to engage in appropriate health behaviors, and the resulting increased awareness has improved health-related education and helped prevent illness;

Whereas the Governors of all 50 States have issued proclamations declaring Men’s Health Week in their States, as have mayors of over 350 cities;

Whereas, since 1994, National Men’s Health Week has been celebrated each June by hundreds of States, cities, localities, public health departments, health care entities, churches, and community organizations throughout the Nation that promote health awareness events focused on men and families;

Whereas men who are educated about the value that preventive health care can play in prolonging their lifespan and their role as productive family members will be more likely to participate in health screenings;

Whereas men and their families are encouraged to increase their awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and medical checkups; and

Whereas June 2025, is National Men’s Health Month, which has the purpose of heightening the awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys: Now, therefore, be it