Masculinities and Health in the Region of the Americas. Executive Summary

Abstract

Life expectancy at birth has increased in the Region of the Americas in recent decades. However, women live 5.8 more years on average than men: excess mortality in men begins in adolescence and triples in early adulthood. What are the reasons for this situation? The leading causes of mortality in men include interpersonal violence, road traffic injuries, and cirrhosis of the liver, all associated with the exercise of a hegemonic masculinity. Masculinities and Health in the Region of the Americas describes how men’s health and well-being is a product of multiple factors, in particu¬lar the construction of masculinity. The report details how the various masculinities impact men’s health as well as the health of women, ado¬lescents, and children. It also documents how social determinants such as gender, ethnicity, age, and education exacerbate the inequities and barriers to health that certain groups face. Based on an exhaustive anal¬ysis of the available literature, surveys, and expert opinions, the report reveals the complexity of the issue of masculinities and health, and the failure to address this issue in the policies and programs of the Region’s countries. It would be unthinkable to analyze men’s health from the gender per¬spective without feminism as a forerunner. It is time to mobilize the political will and the resources necessary to adopt an approach that encompasses both men’s and women’s needs. To help achieve this ob¬jective, the report concludes with nine innovative recommendations aimed at helping to integrate the relational gender perspective into a multisectoral strategy of coordinated policies to improve the health of men and boys.