June is Men's Health Month, a time to encourage boys and men to take charge of their overall health by making healthier lifestyle and wellness choices. This year, as the country is slowly beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial that men keep up a healthy regime by getting regular checkups and ensuring that their healthcare choices account for the risks associated with their age, ethnicity, family history, and lifestyle.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, men on average die five years earlier than women and at higher rates from three leading causes of death—heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries. Additionally, nearly 15 percent of men aged 18 and over are in fair or poor health.
This year, in support of Men’s Health Month, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) will focus on promoting the Six Plays for Men’s Health to remind men and boys that they can improve their health by seeking medical advice and taking other important steps, such as making healthy food choices, staying active, quitting smoking, getting regular checkups, taking care of their mental health, and being #VaccineReady—which includes getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone can text their zip code to 438829 to get vaccination locations near them. For vaccine information in Spanish, text your zip code to 822862.
On June 18, OMH will join the Men’s Health Network to celebrate Wear Blue Day as part of the year-round Wear BLUE awareness campaign to raise awareness for education about men’s health.
Visit our Men's Health Month webpage, available in English and Spanish, to learn more about the Six Plays for Men’s Health, and access shareable graphics and social media messaging as well as other men’s health-related resources.
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Racial and ethnic minority people are more likely than white people to get sick, become hospitalized, or die from COVID-19.
To help address concerns people may have related to the COVID-19 vaccines—such as safety, cost, and side effects—OMH has developed a new COVID-19 resource in English and Spanish. This resource includes key facts about COVID-19 vaccines as well as important information about how and why minorities should participate in clinical trials.
Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are now available. OMH encourages you to be #VaccineReady and that you get vaccinated as soon as possible. For the latest information and guidance about COVID-19 vaccines, visit the CDC website.
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June 5 marked 40 years since the first five cases of what later became known as AIDS were officially reported. The CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) described the five cases.
All month long, the U.S. government is commemorating the 40th anniversary by coordinating events and activities across federal agencies and working with non-federal partners to end the HIV epidemic focusing on the Four for Forty themes: Reflect, Recommit, Reenergize, and Reengage.
Additionally, on June 27, OMH will join partners, health departments and other organizations in observing National HIV Testing Day to promote the importance of HIV testing and early diagnosis. This year’s theme, “My Test, My Way,” emphasizes the different avenues available for HIV testing, which now includes self-tests that can be taken at home. HIV testing is easy, fast, confidential, safe, and can be done when and where an individual chooses. Currently, many local health departments and community-based organizations, as well as CDC, are distributing free HIV self-testing kits, a program funded in part by the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative.
These events honor the more than 32 million people, including 700,000 in the U.S., who have died from AIDS-related illness globally since the start of the epidemic. In their memory, we will not stop until we end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. and around the globe.
For more information about the celebration, including downloadable materials, upcoming events and webinars, and partner resources, visit HIV.gov’s 40th Anniversary of MMWR website.
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The HHS COVID-19 public education campaign has launched its Spanish-language website, JuntosSíPodemos.HHS.gov, to better serve the Spanish-speaking population in the United States. The website offers a full navigation experience in Spanish and has all the resources partner organizations need to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among Spanish speakers.
Through a nationwide network of trusted messengers and consistent, fact-based public health messaging, the campaign helps the public make informed decisions about their health and COVID-19, including steps to protect themselves and their communities.
In June, the HHS COVID-19 public education campaign will support the President’s National Month of Action to mobilize a month-long effort to ensure as many people as possible receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot by July 4.
For resources and downloadable materials to use in your outreach efforts, visit JuntosSíPodemos.HHS.gov or WeCanDoThis.HHS.gov.
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June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day. The goal of this annual global observance is to increase public knowledge and understanding of sickle cell disease, and highlighting the challenges experienced by patients, their families, and caregivers.
OMH joins partners in sharing resources and information about sickle cell disease. According to the CDC, sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States. While the disease is most common among African Americans, other racial and ethnic groups are also affected, including Latinos and people of Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian and Mediterranean backgrounds.
Important strides have been made in caring for people living with sickle cell disease. Visit the OMH sickle cell disease website to learn more about the latest advances and to access resources such as guidelines for sickle cell disease, health journals, medical reports, and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for people living with this disease.
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In observance of Men’s Health Month, the OMH Knowledge Center online catalog is highlighting recent publications related to the health of minority men as related to some of the leading causes of death, such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. To access publications on men’s health for minority groups, search the online catalog here.
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