Recognition and CBT for Paternal Perinatal Depression in Primary Care: A Case Report.

Perinatal depression is prevalent in primary care in the United Kingdom. The recent NHS agenda implemented specialist perinatal mental health services to improve women's access to evidence-based care. Although there is ample research on maternal perinatal depression, paternal perinatal depression remains overlooked. Fatherhood can have a positive long-term protective impact on men's health. However, a proportion of fathers also experience perinatal depression which often correlates with maternal depression. Research reports that paternal perinatal depression is a highly prevalent public health concern. As there are no current specific guidelines for screening for paternal perinatal depression, it is often unrecognized, misdiagnosed, or untreated in primary care. This is concerning as research reports a positive correlation between paternal perinatal depression with maternal perinatal depression and overall family well-being. This study illustrates the successful recognition and treatment of a paternal perinatal depression case in a primary care service. The client was a 22-year-old White male living with a partner who was 6 months pregnant. He attended primary care with symptoms consistent with paternal perinatal depression as indicated by his interview and specified clinical measures. The client attended 12 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy, conducted weekly over a period of 4 months. At the end of treatment, he no longer portrayed symptoms of depression. This was maintained at 3-month follow-up. This study highlights the importance of screening for paternal perinatal depression in primary care. It could benefit clinicians and researchers who may wish to better recognize and treat this clinical presentation.

Establishing an Academic-Community Partnership to Explore the Potential of Barbers and Barbershops in the Southern United States to Address Racial Disparities in HIV Care Outcomes for Black Men Living With HIV.

Black men comprise most new HIV infections in the Southern United States and have worse HIV outcomes than their non-Black counterparts. We developed an academic-community partnership in Nashville, Tennessee, to explore opportunities to improve HIV outcomes for Black men. We recruited barbers to an HIV training and focus group discussion about prevention and potential barber/barbershop-based strategies to address HIV-related needs for Black men. We assessed HIV knowledge and stigma with validated scales and conducted thematic analysis on discussion transcripts. HIV-related stigma was low (1.8 of 15 points [SD = 1.69]) among 13 participants of unknown HIV status (12 men and one woman). HIV knowledge increased among eight (67%) participants after receiving a brief HIV didactic. Participants described general health care barriers (e.g., the social norm that Black men do not go to the doctor until they are "damn near dead"), fears about unwanted HIV disclosure when seeking HIV testing or care, and community fears about negative stereotypes associated with HIV. Participants expressed enthusiasm about receiving more HIV-related training and utilizing communication skills and client/community relationships to serve as health educators and navigators. Barbers highlighted opportunities to disseminate HIV information in barbershops and combine HIV interventions with other health issues, such as COVID-19, and suggested that these interventions may help reduce HIV-related stigma. Our findings suggest that barbers and barbershops are an underutilized resource for disseminating HIV-related health information and engaging Black men in HIV and other important prevention and care activities such as COVID-19.

Preliminary Evaluation of a Citizen Scientist Educational Curriculum Aimed at Engaging Black Men in Lung Cancer Early Detection Screening.

This article describes an educational program to engage African American men as citizen scientists (CSs) and future research partners in a lung cancer screening project. We provide an overview of the curriculum used, the structure and format of the educational sessions, and associated educational outcomes. Furthermore, we describe lessons learned in the engagement of African American men as CS in community-based lung-health equity research. The CS educational program included five group-based sessions delivered through zoom. The educational curriculum was adapted from the University of Florida Citizen Scientist program and tailored to address lung health and the contextual experiences of African American men. Each session lasted 90 minutes. Pre- and post-test measures were collected to examine changes in knowledge, comfort, health literacy, research interests, and medical mistrust. Eight African American men completed the CS educational program. Attendance rates were high for each session (100%). Seven participants completed additional human subject research certification. Improvements were observed from pre- to post-test in participants' level of knowledge, comfort, and health literacy but not medical mistrust. CS reported the most interest in participating in research aimed to identify important community strengths and problems. Study findings suggest that it was feasible to deliver an online citizen scientist educational program designed to prepare participants to serve as partners in a lung cancer screening intervention for African American men. Results suggest the educational program has the potential to improve key outcomes including completion of regulatory training and increased research-related knowledge, comfort, and health literacy.

Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Male Mental Health Emergencies Attended by Ambulances During the First National "Lockdown" in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated mitigation strategies such as "lockdown" are having widespread adverse psychological effects, including increased levels of anxiety and depression. Most research using self-reported data highlights the pandemic's impact on the psychological well-being of females, whereas data for mental health emergency presentations may reflect the impact on male mental health more accurately. We analyzed records of male mental health emergencies occurring in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom during the first national "lockdown." We computed two binary logistic regression models to (a) compare male mental health emergencies occurring during "lockdown," 2020 (5,779) with those occurring in the same period in 2019 (N = 4,744) and (b) compare male (N = 5,779) and female (N = 7,695) mental health emergencies occurring during "lockdown." Comparisons considered the characteristics of mental health emergencies recorded by ambulance clinicians (Primary Impressions), and the socioeconomic characteristics of communities where emergencies use the Index of Multiple Deprivation. We found that during "lockdown," male emergencies were more likely to involve acute anxiety (odds ratio [OR]: 1.42) and less likely to involve intentional drug overdose (OR: 0.86) or attempted suicide (OR: 0.71) compared with 2019. Compared with females, male emergencies were more likely to involve acute behavioral disturbance (OR: 1.99) and less likely to involve anxiety (OR: 0.67), attempted suicide (OR: 0.83), or intentional drug overdose (OR: 0.76). Compared with 2019, and compared with females, males experiencing mental health emergencies during "lockdown" were more likely to present in areas of high deprivation. Understanding the presentation of male mental health emergencies could inform improved patient care pathways.

Engaging Young Black Males in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: A Review of the Literature.

Young Black males (YBM) ages 18 to 24 years are more at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and have a substantially greater need for sexual reproductive health (SRH) services than other groups. Despite this significant need, the extant literature does not provide a comprehensive picture of how YBM seek preventive care services (e.g., STI testing). Therefore, the purpose of this review is to address YBM's SRH access and use of STI/HIV testing and screening in this population, with a specific emphasis on young heterosexual Black males, by identifying barriers and facilitators of engaging with SRH care. An electronic search was performed using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycInfo, PubMed, and Scopus online databases. Keywords were adapted to each database and included variations of "Black males," "sexual reproductive healthcare services," "youth (18-24 years old)," and "healthcare access and utilization." Studies from the review reported that barriers to engaging in SRH care included lack of health insurance, ideas of masculinity that conflict with SRH care, stigma related to accessing services, and lack of knowledge regarding available services and care options. The top facilitators for utilizing SRH care were engagement on behalf of health clinics, confidence gained from social support, access to quality health care in one's community, and trust in the health care system and providers. This review contributes to the current state of the science and is important to the improvement of high-quality services for this population, including respect, choice in care, confidentially, and compassion.

Sociodemographic and Geographic Disparities of Prostate Cancer Treatment Delay in Tennessee: A Population-Based Study.

The relationship of social determinants of health, Appalachian residence, and prostate cancer treatment delay among Tennessee adults is relatively unknown. We used multivariate logistic regression on 2005-2015 Tennessee Cancer Registry data of adults aged ≥18 diagnosed with prostate cancer. The outcome of treatment delay was more than 90 days without surgical or nonsurgical intervention from date of diagnosis. Social determinants in the population-based registry were race (White, Black, Other) and marital status (single, married, divorced/separated, widow/widower). Tennessee residence was classified as Appalachian versus non-Appalachian (urban/rural). Covariates include age at diagnosis (18-54, 54-69, ≥70), health insurance type (none, public, private), derived staging of cancer (localized, regional, distant), and treatment type (non-surgical/surgical). We found that Black and divorced/separated patients had 32% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.42) and 15% (95% CI: 1.01-1.31) increased odds to delay prostate cancer treatment. Patients were at decreased odds of treatment delay when living in an Appalachian county, both urban (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.95) and rural (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78-0.89), diagnosed at ≥70 (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.53-0.66), and received surgical intervention (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.68-0.76). Our study was among the first to comprehensively examine prostate cancer treatment delay in Tennessee, and while we do not make clinical recommendations, there is a critical need to further explore the unique factors that may propagate disparities. Prostate cancer treatment delay in Black patients may be indicative of ongoing health and access disparities in Tennessee, which may further affect quality of life and survivorship among this racial group. Divorced/separated patients may need tailored interventions to improve social support.

Strong Men, Strong Communities: Design of a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Diabetes Prevention Intervention for American Indian and Alaska Native Men.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious global epidemic that disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations. American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) have the highest rates of diabetes in the nation with a prevalence of 14.7% in 2018, more than twice that of non-Hispanic Whites. AI/AN men have the highest prevalence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes (14.5%) compared to non-Hispanic Black (11.4%), non-Hispanic Asian (10.0%), and non-Hispanic White (8.6%) men. Several landmark clinical trials have shown that lifestyle interventions can effectively prevent or delay the onset of diabetes among those at risk, including in AIs/ANs. Despite positive outcomes for AIs/ANs in these studies, very few were men. To date, there have been no concerted efforts to recruit and retain AI/AN men in interventions that promote weight loss and healthy lifestyles to prevent diabetes, and they remain underrepresented in these types of studies. This article describes the design and methods of the first randomized controlled trial of a diabetes prevention program with a study sample comprised entirely of AI/AN men. Research to date has demonstrated suboptimal patterns of recruitment and retention of AI/AN men, resulting in their virtual absence in health and intervention research. Effective methods to recruit and retain AI/AN men, and potential benefit gained from participation in diabetes prevention research, are unknown for this population who experience a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The study design presented in this article offers promising insights to help remedy these important shortcomings in the science of recruitment and retention of AI/AN men in research.

Culturally Responsive Health Promotion to Address Health Disparities in African American Men: A Program Impact Evaluation.

African American (AA) men continue to experience worse health outcomes compared to men of other races/ethnicities. Community-based interventions are known to be effective in health promotion and disease prevention. The program objectives were to (a) increase knowledge and risk awareness of targeted conditions, (b) change health-care-seeking attitudes toward regular primary care among AA men, and (c) improve their lifestyle-related health behaviors by leveraging the influence of women in their lives. The community-engaged educational intervention targeted both men and women and included eight 90-min sessions per cohort. Topics included prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, health-care access, and healthy lifestyle. Sessions were both didactic and interactive. A pre-/post-intervention questionnaire assessed knowledge. Interviews were conducted with male participants and a focus group discussion (FGD) with women to assess program impact. Interview and FGD transcripts were analyzed for themes and recommendations. Major themes were-increased knowledge/awareness of risk associated with chronic conditions, change in health-care-seeking attitudes, increased self-efficacy to engage the health-care system, and lifestyle changes. Other impacts reported were building community/social support, a safe and enabling learning environment, and enhanced community health status overall. Recommendations included having extended, more in-depth sessions, targeting the younger generation, smaller cohort sizes, and more community-based health programming. Community-engaged health promotion using a cohort model as well as including women can be effective in increasing knowledge, enhancing self-efficacy, and providing the much-needed social support. These can influence health-related behaviors and thus contribute to improving health outcomes for AA men.

Understanding Lung Cancer Resources and Barriers Among Worksites With Mostly Male Employees in Eight Rural Kentucky Counties: A Focus Group Discussion.

Kentucky has the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States, and lung cancer is Kentucky's leading cause of cancer deaths. Males in Kentucky have higher lung incidence and mortality rates than females. Through support from the SelfMade Health Network, Kentucky developed a Regional Resource Lead Organization that collaboratively developed a multi-component worksite intervention on lung cancer among male populations. The intervention targets eight Kentucky counties. The first component and focus of this manuscript included focus group meetings with organizational representatives in each county that provide health, educational, and social services to men and worksites. The focus groups discussed four distinct areas: (a) lung cancer-related resources and services in each county; (b) perceived ways men in worksites learn about and access health-related services; (c) identification of potential challenges and barriers to reaching men in worksites; and (d) creation of linkages and potential partnerships between community organizations and worksites. Forty-five organizational representatives participated in the eight focus groups. Most resources and services discussed were related to tobacco treatment. Employers were the most commonly perceived way men learn about and access health-related services, while attitudes and behaviors were the most commonly perceived barriers preventing men from accessing services. The most common potential linkages and partnerships across all areas were community organizations and groups, employers, health-care providers, and mass media. Partnering with employers may provide an opportunity to reach males with lung cancer prevention and control resources and services.

"You Have to Be Part of the Process": A Qualitative Analysis of Older African American Men's Primary Care Communication and Participation.

The objective of the current study was to understand older African American men's perceptions of and experiences with patient-provider communication during primary care medical visits. Fifteen African American men age 50 and older participated in individual semistructured interviews. Open-ended questions focused on their primary care therapeutic alliance, preferences for decision-making, self-efficacy, patient satisfaction, communication, and companion participation during primary care medical visits. Emergent themes included the perception of rushed and inattentive care related to low socioeconomic status, inadequate information exchange about medical testing and follow-up care, welcoming the help of highly engaged companions, and proactively preparing for medical visits. Participants' assertiveness, confidence, and persistence with health providers regarding agenda setting for their care were most prevalent and contradict extant literature portraying African American men as less engaged or informed patients. Older African American men, particularly those with low socioeconomic status, may benefit from additional support and advocacy to consistently receive patient centered care and communication.

Invisibility Is Not Invincibility: The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Gay, Bisexual, and Straight Men's Mental Health.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health problem. However, there is limited research conducted on and about men who are survivors. This project extends previous research by examining the post-traumatic impact of diverse forms of IPV (sexual, physical, emotional, control, and stalking) on the internalized and externalized mental health of gay, bisexual, and straight men. Using data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (2011; N = 18,957), we find that all men are equally likely to report emotional victimization and controlling tactics (with between 50% and 70% doing so), while bisexual men are significantly more likely to report physical and sexual violence and gay men are significantly more likely to report intimate stalking. Due to these experiences, gay men are significantly more likely to report missing school or work, but bisexual men are significantly more likely to rate their current overall mental health as poor. Around 10% of all men, regardless of sexual orientation, report post-traumatic stress disorder symptomology and 30% of all men report difficulty sleeping. This research suggests that sexual orientation is a critical area of focus in the study of violence and mental health for men and that we can no longer ignore the voices and needs of men survivors: Invisibility is not invincibility.

Discerning Disparities: The Data Gap.

Health disparities that focus on gender and on the ancillary dependent variables of race and ethnicity reflect continually early illness, compromised quality of life, and often premature and preventable deaths. The inability of the nation to eliminate disparities also track along race and gender in communities where a limited number of health-care providers and policymakers identify as being from these traditionally underserved and marginalized population groups. Epidemiologists and other researchers and analysts have traditionally failed to integrate the social determinants of health and other variables known to support upward mobility in their predictive analyses of health status. The poor, and poor men of color particularly, begin a descent to invisibility and separation that has been witnessed since the early days of this nation. This history has the majority of men of color mired in poverty or near poverty and has more substantively and explicitly affected both American Indians and Africans forced into immigration into the United States and into slavery. Other racial and ethnic groups including large distinct ethnic groups of Asian Americans and Hispanics/Latinx do not have their treatment by systems fully reported from a health and social justice perspective simply because the systems do not disaggregate by race and ethnicity. It is axiomatic that examining disparities through the lens of race, ethnicity, and gender provides a unique opportunity to reflect upon what is known about boys' and men's health, particularly men from communities of color, and about payment systems. Integration of all populations into the enumeration of morbidity, mortality, and disparity indices is a dynamic reflection of the vision and exclusive actions of decision makers.

Exploring Structural, Sociocultural, and Individual Barriers to Alcohol Abuse Treatment Among Hispanic Men.

Hispanic men have poor access to alcohol abuse treatment, low treatment engagement, and low treatment completion rates despite the contrasting burden of alcohol-related consequences they face. The purpose of this study was to examine Hispanic male perspectives regarding alcohol abuse treatment-seeking behaviors and the structural, sociocultural, and individual factors that may influence initiation and continued engagement in treatment in this population. Individual interviews were conducted with a sample of 20 Hispanic men (age: 44.6 ± 11.3 years). Thematic analysis was completed using a hybrid deductive-inductive approach centered in an a priori codebook that was further supplemented with iterative exploration of transcripts. Results suggested treatment-seeking behaviors were highly influenced by (a) structural factors related to poor treatment access, as well as lack of linguistic- and cultural-responsiveness of available treatment; (b) sociocultural factors related to difficulties problematizing alcohol abuse due to lack of community awareness, societal normalization of consumption, and stigmatization of alcohol abuse treatment; and (c) individual factors related to lack of individual knowledge. This work highlights the perceived lack of congruency between available treatment and the linguistic, cultural, and gender norms of Hispanic men. There is need for responsive treatment strategies that comprehensively consider the gendered- and sociocultural-factors that govern treatment seeking and engagement behaviors. Findings also suggest a need for targeted alcohol abuse awareness building efforts in the Hispanic community. Specifically, the detrimental effects of alcohol-related problems and potential benefits of treatment should be addressed in order to diminish social stigma of abuse and of treatment.

The Connection Between Testicular Cancer, Minority Males, and Planned Parenthood.

Testicular cancer (TCa) is the most prevalent neoplasm diagnosed in males aged 15-40 years. Lack of access to care is a key impediment to early-stage TCa diagnosis. Health equity concerns arise, however, as poor access largely manifests within underserved male populations, therefore, placing them at a higher risk to develop late-stage TCa. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) offers a myriad of male reproductive/sexual health care options, including TCa screening and referral services. Therefore, expanding these amenities in traditionally underserved communities may address the concern of TCa screening opportunities. An ecological analysis was performed using data from the United States Cancer Statistics, American Community Survey, and PPFA databases to assess the impact of TCa upon minority males, identify associations between PPFA services and minority males, and provide future implications on the role PPFA may play in bridging health-care access gaps pertaining to TCa screenings. Results indicate that states with higher rates of poverty and uninsured individuals, as well as specifically Black/African American males, have lower TCa incidence and limited access to screening services. PPFA service presence and Black/African American, as well as uninsured, males had a negative association but revealed positive correlations with TCa incidence. Considering the emerging TCa outcome disparities among minority males, expanding PPFA men's health services is crucial in providing affordable options to help identify testicular abnormalities that are early stage or carcinoma in situ. Many at-risk males have limited means to obtain TCa screening services. Expanding this discussion could provide a foundation for future advocacy.

2016 Survey of State-Level Health Resources for Men and Boys: Identification of an Inadvertent and Remediable Service and Health Disparity.

This survey evaluated resources available to men and boys at the state level including state public health departments (SPHDs), other state agencies, and governor's offices. Most of the resources and programs are found in the SPHDs and these administer state-initiated and federally funded health programs to provide services and protection to a broad range of populations; however, many men's health advocates believe that SPHDs have failed to create equivalent services for men and boys, inadvertently creating a health disparity. Men's Health Network conducts a survey of state resources, including those found in SPHDs, every 2 years to identify resources available for men and women, determine the extent of any disparity, and establish a relationship with SPHD officials. Data were obtained from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. An analysis of the 2016 survey data indicates that there are few resources allocated and a lack of readily available information on health and preventive care created specifically for men and boys. The data observed that most health information intended for men and boys was scarce among states or oftentimes included on websites that primarily focused on women's health. A potential result of this is a loss of engagement with appropriate health-care providers due to a lack of information. This study continues to validate the disparity between health outcomes for women and men. It continues to highlight the need for better resource allocation, outreach, and health programs specifically tailored to men and boys in order to improve overall community well-being.

"Down in the Sewers": Perceptions of Depression and Depression Care Among African American Men.

Depression is one of the most common, costly, and debilitating psychiatric disorders in the United States. One of the most persistent mental health disparities is the underutilization of treatment services among African American men with depression. Little is known about appropriateness or acceptability of depression care among African American men. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of depression and determine barriers to depression treatment among African American men. A series of four focus groups were conducted with 26 African American men. The average age of the sample was 41 years and most participants reported that they had completed high school. Nearly half of the participants reported that they are currently unemployed and most had never been married. The most common descriptions of depression in this study were defining depression as feeling down, stressed, and isolated. A small group of participants expressed disbelief of depression. The majority of participants recognized the need to identify depression and were supportive of depression treatment. Nonetheless, most men in this sample had never sought treatment for depression and discussed a number of barriers to depression care including norms of masculinity, mistrust of the health care system, and affordability of treatment. Men also voiced their desire to discuss stress in nonjudgmental support groups. Research findings highlight the need to increase the awareness of symptoms some African American men display and the need to provide appropriate depression treatment options to African American men.

Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Texas Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Men: Implications for Gastric Cancer Risk Disparities.

Chronic Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) infection is a major gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) risk factor. GA disproportionately affects U.S. Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). Since H. pylori infection studies in Hispanics are few, infection rates in Hispanic and NHW men in Bexar County were compared, and relationships with ethnicity and obesity examined. Age- and zip code-matched participants from a community-dwelling cohort were randomly selected. Sera from 284 men were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay for H. pylori antibodies. Adjusted risk ratio estimation for matched data was conducted to identify differences. Hispanics had a markedly higher prevalence of infection (30.3%) than NHWs (9.2%). Matched risk ratio (mRR) analyses revealed a strong association between H. pylori seropositivity and Hispanic ethnicity (mRR = 3.31; 95% CI [1.91, 5.73], adjusted by BMI, smoking status, and family history of cancer (mRR range = 3.28-3.89). BMI mRRs (range = 1.19-1.22) were significant in all models. In this cohort, Hispanic men had higher H. pylori infection rates than NHWs, and parallel the disproportionately higher rates of GA; obesity contributes to this higher prevalence. Future studies should address country of origin, acculturation, and other factors influencing obesity to further elucidate risk of GA in Hispanic populations.

"We Need Help in the Delta".

The purpose of this study was to better understand the barriers to health promotion among African American older men living in the rural Mississippi Delta. A qualitative, intrinsic case study approach was used to explore the phenomenon of health and the barriers to promoting men's health within the unique context of the Delta. Data included one key informant interview and two focus group interviews with 14 men, with the majority between the ages of 41 and 55 years. Focus group participants were lay community members as well as members of a volunteer community health advisors men's group. Findings underscore the extensiveness of the term "health" and the importance of attending to structural barriers in addressing men's health. Three overarching themes emerged: "men don't talk about health," "health care is not just the issue, everything is," and "we need a strong male to lead." Implications for future research and health promotion efforts are provided.

Geography, Race/Ethnicity, and Physical Activity Among Men in the United States.

Engaging in regular physical activity reduces one's risk of chronic disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and some forms of cancer. These preventive benefits associated with physical activity are of particular importance for men, who have shorter life expectancy and experience higher rates of chronic diseases as compared to women. Studies at the community and national levels have found that social and environmental factors are important determinants of men's physical activity, but little is known about how regional influences affect physical activity behaviors among men. The objective of this study is to examine the association between geographic region and physical activity among men in the United States, and to determine if there are racial/ethnic differences in physical activity within these geographic regions. Cross-sectional data from men who participated the 2000 to 2010 National Health Interview Survey ( N = 327,556) was used. The primary outcome in this study was whether or not men had engaged in sufficient physical activity to receive health benefits, defined as meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Race/ethnicity and geographic region were the primary independent variables. Within every region, Hispanic and Asian men had lower odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity compared to white men. Within the Northeast, South, and West, black men had lower odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity compared to white men. The key findings indicate that the odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity among men differ significantly between geographic regions and within regions by race/ethnicity.

Eclipsed by the Prostate: Expanding Testicular Cancer Scholarship Through Years of Potential Life Lost and Economic Productivity.

Men's health has been generalized as prostate cancer (PCa) with a supporting cast of other health issues, such as testicular cancer (TCa). As a result, research and scholarship in these supporting topical areas may not receive appropriate attention.This may possibly lead to disease burden indicators failing to comprehensively assess overall affect from a specific outcome within the population. The following commentary provides an example of years of potential life lost (YPLL) and economic productivity as it relates to TCa to encourage diversity in male health research and scholarship topical areas. Overall incidence and mortality rates overwhelmingly support a disparate burden from PCa as compared to other male-specific outcomes, specifically, TCa. When factoring in YPLL and lost economic activity as a result of early death, that disparity essentially dissipates. This discussion will provide an alternative disposition on how males are affected by PCa and TCa. Although PCa has much larger mortality and incidence rates compared to TCa, the amount of life a man potentially lo ses (nearly quadrupled) if he would die of TCa as compared to PCa assists in balancing out the disparate aforementioned burden. Suggestions are offered to encourage scholarship attention equity as well as implications for future research in the field.