Very few men worldwide seek medical attention from health facilities, a report by the World Health Organization shows.
The report 'World Health Statistics 2019 Overview: Monitoring Health for the SDGs' ahead of World Health Day on Sunday.
According to the report, in many settings, men use health services less than women.
For some infectious diseases such as HIV and TB, men's later diagnosis and treatment is responsible for a greater number of secondary infections.
However, in countries with generalised HIV epidemics, men are less likely than women to take an HIV test and less likely to access antiretroviral therapy. Men are also more likely than women to die of an AIDs-related illness.
“Similarly, male TB patients appear to be less likely to seek care than female TB patients," it says.
The report further lists breast cancer as the leading cause of reduced life expectancy among women. It is followed by maternal conditions and cervical cancer.
On the other hand, the main cause of the reduced life expectancy in men is coronary heart disease, road injuries, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stroke. in that order.
Others are cirrhosis of the liver, TB, prostate cancer and interpersonal violence.
“Men have a lower life expectancy than women because of higher deaths rates caused from multiple factors," it says.
According to the report, the risk of not using a condom during sex with a non-regular partner to be higher in women than men.
Some of the differences in mortality rates and life expectancy are due to biological sex differences.
Others are linked to gender differences; that is, socially constructed roles, norms, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men, women boys and girls.
“For example, child marriage increases the risks related to early pregnancy among girls, whereas higher rates of male employment in the transport industry expose men to higher risks of death on the roads,” it says.
Deaths rates from road injury are more than twice as high in men as in women from age 15 years and mortality rates due to homicide are four times higher in men than in women.
One in five of all homicides is committed by an intimate partner or family member, with women making up most of the victims, it says.
WHO recommends that health planning to take into account differences between women and men in exposure to risk factors, access to services and differences in health outcomes
Gender analysis should consider women, men and transgender population groups to ensure equitable health outcomes.
