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On Friday, May 15, during the SMSNA 31st Annual Scientific Program at AUA, Mark Edney, MD, MBA, FACS; Tobias Kohler, MD, MPH, FACS; Congressman Greg Murphy, MD; and Eugene Rhee, MD, MBA, provided insights into the background and driving factors behind the bill to establish a U.S. Office of Men's Health, including key disparities and policy considerations that led to its development.
Dr. Kohler explained that the health gap has been widening since 1963, the last year when men’s and women’s life spans were the same. He stated that men’s longevity has been struggling but can be improved upon, noting that since the inception of the U.S. Office of Women’s Health, mortality and cancer rates have reduced significantly. There are currently a multitude of men’s health services; however, these would be more organized under the umbrella of the Office of Men’s Health, according to Dr. Kohler. He stated that the American Urological Association (AUA) and Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) are uniquely positioned to provide mental, physical, and sexual health services to men beyond pediatric age.
Dr. Edney described the history behind the inception of the bill to establish an Office of Men’s Health, stating that members of both the SMSNA and AUA have been discussing the development of an Office of Men’s Health in casual conversation for years. He said the first step in working toward an Office of Men’s Health is to assess public and political perception, harnessing the energy behind these conversations to develop a bill. The AUA Public Policy Committee has been working with the U.S. Congress to establish this bipartisan bill.
Dr. Rhee emphasized the importance of research and education for policy development, especially surrounding men’s health. “The time is now. Because if it’s not us, then who?” he asked. With anecdotes about men who did not know their own bodies, Dr. Rhee called on the SMSNA personally to consider how to bring men forward through education, especially when reaching out to perform studies on issues like cardiovascular disease, testosterone fluctuations, and more.
Congressman Dr. Murphy explained the process of submitting the bill to establish the Office of Men’s Health, advocating for discussion and securing co-sponsors within the U.S. Congress. He stressed that physicians should remember to advocate for themselves and their patients, moving beyond the clinic level to the state legislative level and beyond. He explained that there were critiques due to the misunderstanding that this would take resources from the Office of Women’s Health, which Dr. Murphy stressed would not happen. He stated that continuous political and monetary advocacy is crucial to the passage of this bill, if not this year, then in the near future.
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