ABSTRACT
This chapter considers men’s health through the lens of men’s gender role behaviors and evaluates gender differences in health from the perspective of precarious manhood theory. It proposes that the precariousness of the male gender role influences men’s behavioral choices—the things that they choose to do and not to do—in ways that contribute to their health. The chapter shows that the precariousness of manhood offers a powerful explanatory mechanism for explaining a host of seemingly unrelated gender disparities. It describes framing manhood as a precarious social status can help shed light on why men take risks that can harm their health. Another major barrier to men’s health is men’s reluctance to seek help from healthcare professionals. Like racial minority men, sexual minority men use less preventive healthcare than straight, cisgender men. Healthcare providers may lack education about how to treat the health problems of gay, bisexual, or transgender men.
