Society Calls for Men to Take on More Responsibility – Concluding Remarks at the 2004 Symposium of Men's Health Experts

Society is calling for men to take on more responsibility.

--- Concluding remarks at the 2004 Men's Health Experts Symposium

Chen Shengli, Inspector of the Publicity and Education Department of the National Population and Family Planning Commission

October 28, 2004, marked the fifth National Men's Health Day. Men's health involves a wide range of issues and a large population, and has attracted widespread attention. At today's seminar, experts shared their diverse perspectives and offered many important viewpoints. Summarizing everyone's remarks, I would like to offer the following three points.

I. The Connotation of Men's Health

Everyone's comments were excellent, some agreeing and some disagreeing, which is fine. I think the first thing we need to do is clarify our own thinking. How exactly do we define the meaning of men's health? What exactly should we be promoting?

I think we should start with the concept of health itself. Many experts have mentioned that health includes three aspects: physical, mental, and social. Men's health should also be considered in this way.

First and foremost, physical health is a crucial aspect of overall health. This includes the absence of diseases specific to men's health and the normal functioning of male-specific sexual organs. These include prostate issues, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS, and sexual dysfunction. We must provide men with greater care and support in these areas. There are some things men find difficult to discuss or are embarrassed to talk about, such as STIs and HIV/AIDS. These health issues truly require significant societal attention, including public education and assistance for those infected to address their practical difficulties. This is a vital aspect of men's health. Men play a proactive role in preventing the spread of STIs and HIV/AIDS; they are a crucial group in preventing their transmission. These issues cannot be resolved solely by men; they require societal support and the creation of necessary conditions.

The second aspect is psychological. Mental health is extremely important. For example, young men entering puberty may not understand certain physiological phenomena, leading to psychological problems. Some of these problems are difficult for them to understand on their own and require guidance and education. From a psychological perspective, another issue is ideology and moral character-the values ​​that guide their behavior. Men bear certain social and family responsibilities, and some have healthy attitudes towards these responsibilities, while others do not. Those with unhealthy attitudes need our help and education; parents, teachers, and society need to help them resolve these issues. Currently, in society, many moral concepts seem unclear about what is right and wrong. For example, the notion that men staying out all the time is fashionable has led to the widespread dissemination of many erroneous ideas, with no one criticizing them. Who will say that these things are wrong? Is this kind of mentality unacceptable? Many moral standards in society are in disarray, and many good traditional values ​​are gradually fading away; society is going downhill, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. Men's health needs to be addressed psychologically; what is right and wrong, what is healthy and what is unhealthy, needs to be clearly defined. We need to promote this issue, using facts and compelling examples to do ideological work. This is a very important aspect of men's health and cannot be ignored.

The third aspect is social adaptation and participation. Social health is very important. We have been advocating that husbands have a responsibility in family planning. Grassroots family planning cadres have summarized 10 requirements for men's participation in family planning, including what men should do, how they should treat their wives, and how they should treat their families. These are all things we need to promote regarding men's health.