ABSTRACT
The comparative void of national data on the health of men in general and, in particular, that of men at different intersections such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, sexual identity, gender, age, and disability status, highlights an interesting paradox. The plethora of women’s health resources stems from decades of hard-fought feminist activism to make women’s health needs visible in medical diagnoses, treatment, research, and policy. John Rich's and David Malebranche's insights highlight how physicians and other healthcare providers can facilitate and reduce men’s health inequities, and thus why they must be included in the quest to reduce men’s health inequities. Their observations about masculinity, particularly the importance of safe spaces for men to talk in healthcare settings and interventions, and also have important implications for healthcare systems. Rich advocated for more linguistic specificity, noting that much of the language about health inequities revolves around sociodemographics such as race and gender rather than the discrimination that shapes them in the first place.
