We all know that the month of June is alot to unpack. June is the month of Juneteenth Day, the first day of Summer, Father’s Day, Pride Month for the LGBT, Black Music Month and most importantly for the men: It’s another month to talk about health. Their health. Yes, June is Men’s Health Month. For all the men reading my blogs and I know you are: this is our month to think about our health and wellness. We hate the constant nagging of our women folks who keep prompting us to get our health checked by doctors all the time. We know also that we hear stories from older men who had friends that “went in to the hospital and never came out.” We often hear about the use of our health life span that men die 5% more than women no matter what age or health status that goes on. So let me just get this cat out of the bag in which many women will nag us to hell yet again. And we know we’re not like the women in this department: MEN It’s time to go back to the doctors and nurses! Period. Many of us have been praising the Docs and Nurses since the pandemic started or developed. We’ve stood outside or virtually saying “Thank You” to those that go to war in the hospitals everyday. We say thanks to the paramedics, etc. just to look out for us. We get it. BUT…….MEN: since are we thanking the Doctors and Nurses all this time, is it time that we need to start seeing them again? Even if you haven’t been in a while. Like I said two years ago when I went back to a doctor, I had my male eye doctor TELLING ME to see a doctor! So Men, we have to talk to other men and BOYS to talk about going into the doctor’s office to get ourselves checked up. Especially of what’s going on in the three phases I am willing to comment: Coronavirus, Violent Protests and yes Mental Health!
First lets review in the ongoing saga of the Coronavirus:
We all know that the pandemic is causing a ruckus all over the world. Ranging from ages, income, education, job status and health. In regards to our health, the coronavirus has reached in the categories in age and health status. Again this goes for everyone. But when it comes to men, its becoming a staggering statistic. Emily Willingham who wrote for MensHealth Magazine gave an synopsis of this objective:
“The first hints at this male-biased effect emerged in studies from China. One report describing early cases said that 106 men were diagnosed with COVID-19 for every 100 women. In another study from China of 99 patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized with pneumonia, 67 were men. Men in China also have been dying at greater rates than women, at 2.8 percent compared to 1.7 percent among women.
The imbalance crops up elsewhere, too. In an analysis of patients testing positive in Singapore, 41 were men and 26 were women. In Italy, the skew is even more stark, with men making up three of every four diagnosed cases.
This coronavirus is not alone in hitting men harder than women. In the 2003 outbreak of SARS, COVID-19’s cousin in infectious disease, being male was linked to more severe disease. Men were more likely than women to die in that earlier outbreak, too.
One possibility, he (Eng Eong Ooi) says, is that differences in hormone levels between men and women could underlie some of this bias. These differences can affect how men and women respond to infectious disease, vaccination, and cancer.
For example, says Ooi, hormones present in greater concentrations in women may suppress levels of the protein that lets the novel coronavirus into our cells.
Other possible explanations, researchers have suggested, include average differences in how men and women spend their days. Men in China, for example, smoke more than do women, which might make them more vulnerable to COVID-19 disease.
Some studies also point to a role for activities that skew toward one sex or the other, clustering them together on a regular basis, allowing for disease spread. Finally, women lag behind men in some of the other risk factors for more severe COVID-19, including cardiovascular disease.
Pinning down relevant factors will take more research and more time, says Ooi. Meanwhile, he says, “the prevention measures remain the same: good hand hygiene.”
That takes us to another factor that could be in play. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that even though everyone knows to wash hands after using a public bathroom, only 65 percent of women do so and an even more scandalous 31 percent of men do.”
So after reading this portion, it appears that we guys have to watch out for smoking more, washing our hands after using the bathroom, making sure we have a good amount of protein in our foods, and many others. But the bottom line in this is really making sure that our hands are sanitized, clean, and not infections with germs that many carry around! Even when it comes to be socially distant! When I am about, I mask up. I cover my hair with a doo-rag, my face with bandana and or masks, and Nitrile Gloves when going out to the store, restaurant, or where ever when it’s not a lot of people. When I get back home, instead of me going to the easy chair and chilling out, I do the following: I go downstairs to the laundry room and I take off my clothes, my doo-rag, bandanas, and shoes to wash. With Lysol Sanitizers! Then I grab a box of aloe vera wet cloths to wipe around my skin on my face, arms, legs, ears, and other body parts that need attention. After that, I put on CLEAN CLOTHES to wear for the rest of the day. Another important fact: I clean my shoes. Why do I do this? When I’m about, shoes pick up traction of airborne pores. Coronavirus for some is airborne. And rumor has it that it could be on for 5 days if NOT directly washed. For jackets and coats: I spray them by using Fabuloso that has the agent to keep the items clean. And after that is done, I hang up my jackets on a hanger away from other clothes to dry overnight. This is my procedure when going out and coming in the house. Some of you might say, “Stephen, that’s a waste. You don’t have to do that.” With all what’s going on , you have to stay ready! If you have a chronic illness like Diabetes like me for two years, yes I can go out, but I have to stay ready along with my steady diet and exercise. Plus taking my medications. If you have a concern of a medical condition while do work outside, again you need to watch out! Word is that the Coronavirus can be deadly to those 60 years and up.Then I’ve heard that it’s between 20-29 and now it’s 18-35 years old. Why you supposed that is: not many are adhering to the Social Distancing, Physical Distancing, not protected with PPE, etc. Many folks are not thinking smart! Now since many of our stupid Republican folks that opened their states and cities after the idiots of men and women claiming it’s tyranny, guess what? More folks who are not as socially distant are becoming effected with the COVID-19. And what is crazy about it that most of that was done by men. So men we need to think smart about this as we remain vigilant about our health of the coronavirus.
Second on the list: Violent Protests. Say this with me if you dare: BLACK LIVES MATTER.
The very same Black Lives Matter we hear more now like a rally cry. This part of Men’s Health should be focus on violent acts against black men. Over an over again the names of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Ernest Lacy, Terrance Fletcher, Walter Scott, Michael Brown, Derek Williams, Dontre Hamilton, and a host of other Black Men who are not on this list that should be are dead because of that happened to them: Police Brutality, Police Shootings, Racism, and other violent acts. In the 1990’s I heard that African-American men are considered “Endangered Species” in the concerns of them losing their lives. When it comes to Black Men getting killed, it seems that the tipping point always goes sharply with a concern. We hear that the highest homicides, killings, and others that mainly target black men. No matter we read about the murders per capita in a city like Detroit, or Chicago or Milwaukee or anywhere else in America, black men are becoming a target of being extinct. I have to be aware every day when stepping out of the house to be alert of my surroundings. No matters who are looking or driving. Black men have to be on “high alert” when something like this comes around. When you hear stories like this, it’s a recurring nightmare in which families worry about. Especially if you are in a black family! African-American Men, especially YOUNG African-American Men are dying at a violent rate more than the white counterparts and more than their female wives and girlfriends. Men, why haven’t we talked about this during Men’s Health Month? Being killed or shot on the street or highway is a health pandemic. Racism and Environmental Racism is now a health pandemic. Gun Violence is a health matter! Yes, I am very familiar with the second amendment of the right to bear arms. And when the folks start shooting, we should start shooting back. That’s going to be a mess. Pools of blood everywhere. Do we want this? What every MALE group needs to talk about in this discussion is the real hard core reality of why this matters. In terms of this extinction of Black Men. And as far as the protests: we know that the black women are leading this thing, but the black males need to have a synopsis to join this matter. Some black men are standing up and leading the charge. But every black man, have to do this as well.
The third tier to discuss: Mental Health.
The next time when you go to the doctor, gents: there will be this question: They might ask, how is your mental health? You might grade it a high point or low point. And the reason why they ask this because it’s apart of your health. It’s apart of your functioning in all what you do. Mainly thinking. For this, I need to steer away and focus on a mental health subject that I read about and that many joked about that is not humorous. Lil Boosie or Boosie BadA** had this conversation several months ago on the radio, about the concerns of gay folks. He instigated about having his sons and nephews might be turning Gay if they didn’t have sex with females. Boosie was all in the that assuming that if they would have sex with the females, they wouldn’t turn gay. Keep in mind, his sons and nephew are teenagers. VIRGINS! When this story broke, I had to bust out my anger like, why would he encourage this?!!! REALLY?! Almost all of the commentary about this subject was centered about the safety and legality of his male sons and nephew. See when crap like this happens or being talked about, the males are going to be scared for life! Check this out, and I want every male reading this: how many of you have every been Sexually Assaulted or Sexually forced by those you know close that had to prove you’re a man? Almost giving up your virginity to prove that you’re not gay?! And having family members that inserting his/her private part into you that might give you AIDS or some disease? I’m going there on this because based on the stories I read online and other blogs. Believe it or not, this happened to me when I was younger and my cousin did this in a shameful act. When I told my parents this, they were livid! And I had to be about 8 or 9 years old. You talk about mental health issues, fast forward to adulthood, you have Lil Boosie saying all this crap and admitted it was a hoax. Or in this case, he was just clowning. That is not a way to joke about this. AT ALL! This is one example of why Mental Health is a concern in the Black Community. We know that Black Women have issues like this and that’s not a lie. Even when sexually assaulting young boys. Oh, this is the part when you can start saying “Save Our Boys!” Proficiently, this is how many folks get screwed up in a health sense as they get older. For all the men who are just staying silent about this matter, you need to speak up. If this were your son that you want to carry on the family name in all, you better back him up NOW! We know we love our sons, grandsons, nephews, cousins, and stepsons. We want them to grow in a world of no pain and pestilence. But with all that’s going on at a higher rate of Mental Health being serious, this is a wake up call.
This is a must wake up call on Men’s Health in terms of what we go through every time. For the men of the households and the households to be, we can’t just let this sit idly by like it’s no concern. This is a health concern that cannot be ignored!
As this Men’s Health Month is coming to a conclusion of 2020, the issues of our health still goes on everyday. Like Breast Cancer. Like Prostate, Colon, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Lung, Bone and many other forms of cancer we read about all the time. Even dealing with COVID-19 and the forms of issues that men face mostly on their own. Domestic Violence is an issue also that men face alone and it’s a fact. Not just creating the problem but also being a victim! If you think that this issue is not a male concern, ladies ask your man if he was a victim of Domestic Violence. And don’t laugh about this. Maybe he needs to let you know that this was an issue since he was child, or a teenager. Or couldn’t shake it off as an adult. Now everyone knows that Men don’t dig into this well, and its a fact.
So after summarizing these three phases, us males have more work to do. Not just for this Men’s Health Month but also year round. Men, you can stop praising all these nurses and doctors and actually get checked!
