Because too often they won’t

June 9-16, 2025, is Men’s Health Week, and I’d like to focus on some misconceptions about male health that are causing unnecessary harm to men and the people who love them.

As a physician, pharmacist, and founder of Murad Skincare, I’ve always believed that health goes far beyond what we see in the mirror. True wellness is about resilience, emotional fulfillment, connection, and the daily choices we make — often unconsciously — in response to stress, aging, and the world around us.

Lately, I’ve grown more concerned about a topic that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves: men’s health. Quite simply, men are falling behind — in both prevention and treatment — and the effects are compounding in ways that affect not just individual lives, but families, workplaces, and communities.

Where are the gaps?

Let’s start with the basics. Men are:

• Less likely to visit the doctor regularly
• Less likely to seek mental health support
• More likely to die from preventable diseases
• More prone to delay action until symptoms become serious
• Likely to live 4.5 years less than women, on average

To me, these statistics reflect more than mere reluctance. There’s a deeper, systemic issue at play: how we as a society have come to define health and masculinity. Too many of us men (even more so than women) are taught to view self-care as weakness. We (even more so than women) are encouraged to define our worth by what we do, or even worse, by how much money we make. As a result, men’s health can be impacted by age, education, and workplace issues even more than women.

For example, men are disproportionately employed in jobs being replaced by automation. They are also more likely to be employed in jobs that result in injury, such as farming, roofing, mining, logging, warehousing, and fishing. Injury is more likely to affect their employment and income and, like job losses associated with automation, outsourcing, or economic downturns, have compounding effects on men’s mental health. Third, men tend to have lower health literacy than women, which can lead to poorer health outcomes, including a greater frequency of hospital admissions, emergency room visits, and even death.

Making these matters worse, men are encouraged to be stoic. They are taught to “man up,” or minimize their pain — physical, emotional, or otherwise. But silence doesn’t equal strength. It just means suffering alone. That’s why I encourage men to see their primary care provider at least annually. Annual doctor visits—even when “nothing is wrong”—not only enable you to screen for early disease detection, they also provide an opportunity for informed advice about diet, exercise, drug use, risk-taking, and other lifestyle factors that will affect your health as you age—or even whether age. Your primary care provider can help you develop a health plan that will provide for healthy longevity—and it’s never too soon to start.

Overlooked men’s health issues

Let’s talk about some conditions men don’t often speak about, but absolutely should:

Prostate cancer

With the exception of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S. Although some types of prostate cancer are slow-growing, others are more aggressive, with a tendency to spread beyond the prostate.

In recent years, some have questioned the value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, a blood test that can screen for prostate cancer. Although this testing may have led to some men being “over-treated,” I continue to encourage men to get a PSA test every one-to-two years starting at the age of 55. That’s because if prostate cancer is detected, active surveillance will enable them to take action if the cancer appears to be growing.

Urinary and bladder health

Bladder issues — like frequent urination, incontinence, or weak flow — are often dismissed as just part of “getting older.” But they can signal more serious issues, like prostate enlargement or even early-stage prostate cancer. Men need to feel empowered to talk to their doctors about urinary symptoms early and without shame.

Erectile dysfunction (ED)

Although ED is more common in older men, it can also affect men as young as 40. And ED is not just about sexual health — it can be a symptom of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, or chronic stress. Unfortunately, ED is often ignored or only addressed when it becomes emotionally distressing. If men treated ED as a signal rather than a source of embarrassment, we could catch much bigger issues earlier.

Sleep apnea

Snoring isn’t just an annoyance — it can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which affects far more men than women. Left untreated, sleep apnea increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline. It also affects energy, memory, and mood — all of which compound over time and affect how men function daily.

Skin conditions

Men typically have more sebaceous (oil-producing) glands and larger pores than women, giving their skin a rougher appearance. Their skin also tends to be oilier and more acne-prone, plus they have facial hair. All of this means that appropriate skincare for men is different than skincare for women as I explain in this blog post: Men’s Skin: Why You Need to Care for It Differently. For the Cliff Notes version: emphasize cleansing (a foaming cleanser containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide can help with bumpiness); be faithful with sunscreen; and use a light moisturizer. And, just like women, stay hydrated (eat your water AND your sunscreen), exercise, and manage your stress.

Mental health

As previously noted, men are less likely to seek support for their emotional well-being than women. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with “talking about feelings” compounds the difficulties and challenges all human beings face. As a result, untreated physical and emotional health issues affect productivity, sleep, relationships, the ability to thrive at work, and ultimately to enjoy life.

Rewriting the narrative

Health isn’t about perfection — it’s about being present, proactive, and honest with ourselves.

Here’s what I encourage every man to do, no matter his age:

• Start seeing a doctor regularly — even when nothing seems “wrong.”
• Pay attention to sleep, bladder habits, and sexual function — these are vital signs, not taboo topics.
• Ask questions about mental health — especially if stress, anger, or disconnection are constant.
• Make lifestyle tweaks that honor your body and mind — eat to fuel, hydrate generously, sleep deeply, and move often.
• Redefine strength — real strength is vulnerability, adaptability, and the willingness to evolve.

We need more open dialogue — at work, at home, and in society — about men’s life experiences. That includes economic anxiety, burnout, grief, identity, aging, and intimacy. Health isn’t just a physical state; it’s a reflection of how we treat ourselves and what we believe we deserve.

Men deserve to live long, vibrant, connected lives. That starts with awareness. It deepens with action. And it flourishes with support.

That’s #ModernWellness!