To say we are in the midst of a public health crisis may be an understatement — and I’m not just referring to the Coronavirus currently holding Rice University class schedules hostage. I find myself more concerned with the effects of this viral disease rather than its cause — in particular, the seemingly profound declarations of healthy habits: Sneeze into your elbow! Stay home if you are ill! For God’s sake, wash your hands. 

While the viral spread of this latest epidemic may be the first thing on everyone’s minds, I can’t help but be taken aback by the sudden urgency of (what I had understood to be) simple health reminders. I didn’t fool myself into believing every single person took part in the best hygiene practices, but there were some basics I thought we all understood. The general things. Washing your hands, seeing doctors, and understanding that one’s own sickness should remain just that — your own! Stop going out in public, people.

With health on the forefront of today’s headlines, I thought I might entertain myself with a quick delve into gender differences in health, hygiene, and well-being.

The first links between Masculinity and a negative impact on men’s health can be traced back to one James Harrison, whose 1978 thesis “Warning: The Male Sex Role May Be Dangerous to Your Health” first linked masculine traits towards negative health outcomes. In his thesis, Harrison notes a growing disparity between men’s and women’s life expectancy, citing socialized differences between gendered behaviors as possible undercurrents for this trend. An article published in 2015 by Sloan, Conner, and Gough argues the same, pointing to many “manly” behaviors that negatively impact health, as well as reactions to illness which may impact long-term health and recovery. Meta-analysis of 24 countries found that men drank more alcohol than women, used more tobacco products, and adhered to unhealthier diets. These habits can not only damage one’s long-term health, but also increase the severity of any particular episode of illness — perhaps one of the many reasons the “man flu” seems to strike so violently.

This was not the first I have heard of men’s tendency to consume more alcohol. Without asserting that the chicken came before the egg, it is worth noting that while men have lower instances of diagnosed depression, they have higher instances of alcoholism. A high school psychology teacher was the first to point out what may simple be a variation in the gendered expression of mental health issues, predicated on what is or is not acceptable for a man. What sort of “man” mopes around all day, after all? Real men take their problems to the bar. Chug a few brews. Take a few swings at the guy sitting next to you and you can call it a night.

All jokes aside, these concerning trends in less-than-healthy behaviors aren’t the only problem masculinity presents. Sickness and illness often go under reported, untreated, and/or completely undiagnosed. The primary reason? Hegemonic masculinity and the idea of “being a man”. Sloan, Conner, and Gough write: “Traditionally in most societies men are positioned as strong, stoic, and self-sufficient, for example, and it is precisely such attributes that inhibit many men in caring for their physical and psychological health because displaying a concern for one’s wellbeing may be deemed feminine or weak”. Not only does this speak to the increased prevalence of alcoholism and links to mental health, but also speaks to the risk of not admitting illness due to the apparent “weakness” this displays.

Masculinity can be an obstacle even once diagnosed with a serious health issue, as is the case with the prostate cancer patients studied by Alex Broom. Broom notes that these men often under-report urinary problems for a wide range of problematic reasons: for upwards of 20 years, urinary problems were complete under-reported due to lack of awareness (reflective of a larger culture of shame regarding these problems), difficulties admitting to urinary problems despite knowing their risks (see previous), and “the shared sense of humiliation reported by the (heterosexual) men concerning transrectal treatment procedures, implicity linked to homosexual practice”. That’s right, men: even if your doctor is treating symptoms of a life-threatening cancer, it’s still just too gay. 

Another article published in 2010 by Verdonk, Seesing, and Rijk addressed the concerning relationship between masculinity and health: “Doing Masculinity, Not Doing Health? A Qualitative Study Among Dutch Male Employees About Health Beliefs and Workplace Physical Activity”. Most striking in this article was the following statement as it relates to men’s health practices and willingness to seek treatment: “real men are not whiners and ideally, not vulnerable”. Whether feeling unwell or sick and dying, men are not to be made vulnerable, not to allow themselves to concede to the idea of illness. Unsurprisingly, in spite of all these assumptions, men can (and do) get sick. Often. What happens then? These same men go untreated, avoid admitting defeat, and allow their unhealthy habits to proliferate into whatever it may be.

I’m glad we’re all remembering to wash our hands — even if a public health crisis had to remind us thereof. But please, for your sake and everyone else’s: if you’re feeling ill, go see a doctor. Admit defeat. Allow yourself to be treated and to heal. You’re not doing anyone any manly favors by avoiding healthcare.