Like many presidential debates, abortion saw its fair share of attention. Although it’s a topic that draws far more coverage than other health issues, it is not the most pressing health issue of our time. It’s fair to say that pro-life and abortion rights proponents deserve a space in debate, but moderators never even consider discussing the deaths of despair impacting our nation’s sons that warrants —at the least— comparable attention.
Two articles at In His Words earlier this month looked at the suicide and overdose deaths of males 15-34 years-of-age as part of a health series during Men’s Health month to show the disparity between males and females when it comes to early-onset despair and the outcomes that follow.
Continuing this conversation on the day after the Biden and Trump presidential debate seemed like a fitting time to remind readers that male health is an afterthought, particularly when moderators of debates and media outlets are entrenched in prescriptive narratives that routinely dismiss male health and solely focus on female health concerns.
The largest health issue facing our nation is the addiction, overdose, and mental health crisis that leads to homelessness, death, and other serious social concerns. According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 872,873 Americans died from suicide, overdose, and alcohol deaths from 2018-2022. Seventy-three percent of those deaths (638,592) were male.
The question that needed to be asked by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the moderators of the presidential debate, was quite simple and one I’m encouraging my readers to copy/paste into their social media accounts and into the feeds of Tapper, Bash, CNN and other news outlets. It’s one that can certainly be asked of any policy maker running for congress or the senate at the national and state levels.
Question: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 873,000 Americans have died from suicide, overdose, and alcohol related causes. Males account for seventy-three percent of those deaths and continue to be under served when it comes to health services. What would you say to parents who have lost a son and what would you do as President to help strengthen the understanding and treatment of boys and men’s mental health and substance use?
Rephrasing the Question and directing it at President Biden for both Presidents to follow up on: President Biden, your 2025 budget calls on the “Expanded Access to Treatment for Substance Use Disorder,” including “investing [billions of dollars] in a new technical assistance center to strengthen health providers understanding and treatment of women’s mental health and substance use.” Males account for seventy-three percent of deaths of despair and continue to be under served when it comes to health services. What would you say to parents who have lost a son and what would you do as President to help strengthen the understanding and treatment of boys and men’s mental health and substance use?
Other concerns regarding male outcomes certainly warrant consideration but the death of despair crisis (overdose, suicide, and alcohol death) are related to other hot button issues, like health care, illegal immigration, homelessness, and crime. The question allows candidates to address the necessary action from many different policy perspectives and opens the door to more conversations regarding male health and sex differences, an unpopular topic in today’s no-sex-difference climate.
One some level, the Biden administration must recognize sex differences or there would not be a need to “strengthen health providers understanding and treatment of women’s mental health and substance use.” Like so many policy actions and debate questions, sex-differences usually matter in one direction.
It’s time to press political candidates, media outlets, and academics to include questions that address male health. In an age of equity, it seems quite fitting and I hope the question above helps in that effort.
Yes, and another topic that affects men's health came up during the past week or so: a proposal of the Democrats to revive military conscription for both men and women. At least two Republicans have denounced the possibility of including women.
This commentary is right on the mark. I noticed the same thing -- this was the most obvious moment where they could have included a question about male well-being. While major takeaways from the debate involve whether Biden should drop out of the race and the lack of veracity in Trump's responses, this was a moment the moderators could have used to focus on some of the problems men are facing.