Why men are so unhealthy - and what can be done

This month the government in England will launch a consultation for its men's health strategy. The move is long overdue, experts say, with men much more likely to die prematurely than women. But why are they in such poor health – and what can be done about it?

Andrew Harrison was running a men's health clinic from a youth centre in Bradford when he heard a knock. He turned to the door, but no-one was there. Then he heard his name being called. He looked around to see a young man at the window asking for condoms.

"I was on the first floor," he says, recounting the story from a few years ago. "The lad had shimmied up a drainpipe on the outside of the building because he didn't want to go through the reception and ask."

The anecdote, in many ways, encapsulates the challenges over men's health – a combination of risk-taking behaviour and a lack of confidence and skills to engage with health services.

In the UK men are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs and have high cholesterol and blood pressure.

These are major contributors to the fact men have a lower life expectancy than women - by four years - and are nearly 60% more likely to die prematurely before the age of 75 with heart disease, lung cancer, liver disease and in accidents.

Prof Alan White, who co-founded the Men's Health Forum charity and set up a dedicated men's health centre at Leeds Beckett University, says the issue needs to be taken more seriously.

He cites the pandemic as an example, pointing out that 19,000 more men than women died from Covid. "Where was the outrage? Where was the attention":[]}