Supporting National Men's Health Week.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my Congressional Black Causus colleague Representative Cummings on H. Con. Res. 208 which supports National Men's Health Week. This resolution requests that the President call on the American public and interested groups to observe National Men's Health Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Currently, Mr. Speaker, America is facing a dangerous and mounting crisis in men's health care--one that is all the more pernicious because of its silence and its disproportionate impact on men of color.

This crisis costs lives--the lives of those most dear to us: fathers, sons, brothers and husbands. For example, American men die almost 5 years before women do, for African-American men, nearly 12 years sooner than White woman. Forty percent of African-American men die prematurely versus 37 percent of Latino men and 21 percent of White men. Some 189,000 American men will be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 30,000 will die. African-American men have the world's highest incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer. Men of color account for the majority of HIV cases reported among males.

The causes for the growing crisis in men's health are deeply rooted and sociopolitical in nature. Yet, if men are to enjoy longer, fuller and healthier lives, then the poor state of men's health today must become a focal point on the nation's agenda.

To address the obstacles that prevent men from seeking and obtaining adequate healthcare, we have compiled a public education toolkit, which is attached. In it, you will find information on the state of men's health, gender gaps and barriers to care, and the social and political implications of this grave problem.

The U.S. health care system is the world's most advanced, with curative technologies and practices to treat nearly any significant disease. But there's a crisis brewing in America that has less to do with American medical know-how than with sheer male stubborness--and a health care system skewed in favor of females.

In short, men are at risk. They get sicker faster than women. They die off younger. They vastly outnumber women as victims of violence and on-the-job accidents. They are reluctant to see a doctor, and when they finally try to, they face barriers to care. Quite simply, men are largely out of sync with the U.S. health care system, and they are largely out of sync with their own bodies.

This crisis has been brewing for decades, ominously taking a backseat to the wondrous capabilities of American health care. Men quite frankly have been suffering in silence, lending greater and greater irony to the grand medical triumphs that we accumulate year after year.

How bad the men's health crisis is becoming painfully clear. The facts we now have are disturbing. Here are just a few: Male mortality figures have seen dramatic change over the years. In the 1920s, males and females lived to be roughly the same age. Today, women live more than a half-decade longer: 5.4 years, to be exact. In fact, over the last 30 years, the ratio of male mortality has outstripped female mortality at every age. In other words, the gap keeps getting bigger, with men now living 74.4 years, on average, compared to 79.8 for women.

For each of the top 10 causes of death, men have higher death rates that women. Twice as many men die from heart disease than women, when age is accounted for. And 40 percent more men die of cancer than women. By age 75, men die of cancer at nearly twice the rate of women. Yet cancer education and prevention is sorely lacking for men.

But there's more. Male AIDS victims outnumber females four and a half to one. And men's death rates are at least twice as high as women's for suicide, homicide and cirrhosis of the liver. In fact, four out of five deaths by suicide are men, and men age 20-24 are six times more likely than women to take their own lives. We lose 25,000 men every year to death at their own hands.

Men not only live more dangerous, they are accidents waiting to happen on the job too. In fact, 98 percent of all employees in the 10 most dangerous professions are men.

This is a fact borne out by a cold, clinical statistic. The federal government spends nearly $70 billion annually on cross-cutting programs to address women's health. For men, the amount spent is infinitely smaller, probably--it is as yet unknown. Most experts would agree today, however, that research on male-specific disease is under-funded. While prostate cancer comprises 37 percent of all cancer cases, only 5 percent of research funding is earmarked for this disease, according to the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. This amounts to $190 million, as compared to $424.9 million earmarked for breast cancer. And this year alone, 180,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer; and almost 32,000 of them are expected to die from it.

What's more, 39 out of 50 States have either an office women's health or a program focused specifically on women's health. By comparison, just six States formally address men's health issues.

Deep disparities exist in our system of care for 30 percent of men in the U.S.--African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans and others. Men die younger than women, and men of color have the lowest life expectancies of all: 66.1 years for Native Americans, 67.6 years for African-Americans, and 69.6 years for Latinos.

The health system is full of inequities for those men of color. Health-promoting behavior and early detection and treatment of diseases could reduce morbidity and mortality rates, but low utilization of health services, a lack of targeted health activities and increased risks due to social environment contribute to earlier deaths among men of color. For example, 21 percent of white men die prematurely from heart disease; the rate for black men is nearly twice as high: 40 percent.

So today I know we will pass this bill, and I ask my fellow congressional colleagues, other health providers, public health experts and officials, to bring this to the attention of people of this country want to know that we will also move just as determinedly and expeditiously too to ensure that our men are healthy.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for moving this legislation through the Committee on Government Reform. I would also like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) and recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) for his tireless efforts to promote men's health. Finally, a special thanks is owed to the national media outlets such as CNN, CBS Early Morning Show, Wall Street Journal, The USA Weekend, Parade, Roll Call, and Fox Cable News for promoting the National Men's Health Week and recognizing the importance of the health of men and their families.

I am pleased that H. Con. Res. 208, a bill supporting National Men's Health Week, is on today's suspension calendar. The National Men's Health Week Act was passed by Congress in 1994 and signed into law by former President Clinton on May 31, 1994. Former Senator Bob Dole sponsored the legislation in the Senate, and former Congressman Bill Richardson sponsored it in the United States House of Representatives.

The purpose of Men's Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. National Men's Health Week is just one way in which the public and health care providers can become educated about the importance of early detection of male-related diseases.

Mr. Speaker, men are at such high risk because a higher percentage of men have no health care coverage, make fewer physician visits each year; and research on male-specific diseases is vastly underfunded. Experts believe that early detection of certain diseases could be possible if awareness were raised concerning male-related health problems. These problems include prostate cancer, infertility, and colon cancer.

Additionally, early detection may have an impact on the following statistics: men have a higher death rate for every one of the top 10 leading causes of death as defined by the Centers for Disease Control; men die of heart disease at almost twice the rate of women; 50 percent more men die of cancer than women; despite medical technology and research advances, men continue to live an average of 6 years less than women; and black male life expectancy is 68 years, whereas the overall life expectancy for all groups is 77 years of age.

These statistics are daunting, signifying that awareness, education, and research are indeed crucial. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that men visit a doctor for annual examinations. If I might note, much research has been done with regard to men preventing diseases, and one thing that has been very interesting is that research shows that most men who are able to get early prevention treatment were usually pushed there by a significant other in their lives, a woman.

Preventive health care strategies such as annual examinations can play a role in prolonging male lives, thereby reducing the mortality rates for male-related health diseases. Many of the deaths are preventable, and many of the diseases which adversely affect men could be treated with early detection.

During this year's National Men's Health Week, June 9-15, approximately 750 men participated in health screenings here on Capitol Hill over a 3-day period. Although the week has ended, the message is universal and resonates throughout the year. Since its inception, public health departments, community organizations, and health care entities have celebrated National Men's Health Week. As such, I urge all of my colleagues to support the adoption of H. Con. Res. 208.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 208, which recognizes National Men's Health Week. It has been well documented in health-related research that despite numerous advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of six years less than women. Lack of health insurance, cost-prohibitive exams, a paucity of health education information, and even fear all contribute to the reluctance of many men in visiting health care centers or physicians for regular health screenings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have outlined the ten leading causes of death, and all ten of these affect men more than women; more than half of these are due to chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory disease, and diseases of the liver. Between the ages of 45-54, men are three times more likely than women to die of heart attacks, and men die of heart disease at almost twice the rate of women. Cancers of the prostate, testes, and colon also contribute significantly to male mortality rates. Appropriate use of tests such as Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) exams, blood pressure screens, and cholesterol screens, in conjunction with clinical examination and self-testing for problems such as testicular cancer, can result in the detection of many of these problems in their early stages and increases in the survival rates to nearly 100 percent.

The health outcomes for African American men, the population with the lowest life expectancy, are dire. Although heart disease is the leading cause of mortality for men of all racial and ethnic groups within the United States, significant racial inequalities in heart disease mortality among men have been reported for the last 50 years. Recent statistics indicated that the overall stroke mortality rate is 61 in 100,000 for the general population--the numbers for African American men are significantly higher with 87 in 100,000 African American men dying due to stroke. The likelihood that a man will develop prostate cancer is 1 in 6, but African American men in the United States have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world, and their mortality rates owing to this disease are higher than any other racial or ethnic group.

I want to applaud the gentleman from Maryland for introducing this measure and for his continuing efforts in promoting men's health. Educating both the public and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems will have multiple benefits, to include reducing rates of mortality and morbidity owing to chronic diseases. Men who are educated about the value that preventive health can play in prolonging their life spans and their role as productive family members will be more likely to participate in health screenings. I urge passage of H. Con. Res. 208.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, National Men's Health Week is celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father's Day. The National Men's Health Week Act was passed by Congress in 1994 and signed into law by President Clinton, becoming Public Law 103-264 on May 31, 1994.

Fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, uncles, and grandfathers should make use of this week and become aware of their health risks and ways to prevent disease, disability, and injury. The goal of National Men's Health Week is to raise awareness of the importance of early detection and treatment for men. The focus of last month's National Men's Health Week was heart disease, cancer, injuries, and stroke.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer other than skin cancer among men in the United States. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer-related death among men. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for all men in the United States; and injuries, both unintentional and those caused by acts of violence, are among the top 10 killers for Americans of all ages. Males are at a higher risk than women for motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, and homicide. This resolution will help address lack of awareness and poor health education among men and their families.

I urge my colleagues to support it, and I would commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his introduction and for bringing this matter to our attention.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), the author of this resolution and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would simply close by suggesting that my mother always used to tell us if we knew better, we would do better. I would hope as men become more aware as this kind of information proliferates, we will find men going to see their physicians, getting early screenings, making sure that they detect at an early stage possible illnesses so we can improve the quality of men's

health and the quality of life for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 208) supporting National Men's Health Week.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 208.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 208, introduced by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), supports National Men's Health Week. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 208. The worthy purpose of this legislation is to heighten awareness of preventable health problems among men and boys across the country. The text of the resolution reveals that of the top 10 leading causes of deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, all 10 affect men at greater rates than women. Women make physical checkups and other preventative medical appointments much more frequently than men, and this bill aims to prompt all American men to not forget to make regular appointments with their physician.

This is a worthy resolution, and I urge all Members to support the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 208. I congratulate the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his work on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for introducing this legislation, I urge Members to support the adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.