Essay on Masculinity and Young Men’s Health

Masculinity is the subject of the present research. Masculinity is a common perception that is formed in the mind of the people as the combination of the various images and characteristics of different men. (Keeling, 1998) Norman (2011) suggests that ”˜young men are confronted with competing discourses of masculinity where they are simultaneously incited to work on and transform their bodies into culturally recognizable ideals, while at the same time remaining distant and aloof to the size, shape, and appearance of their bodies.’

The paper will be concentrated on the important health issues related to masculinity such as sexual health, drug and alcohol related risk, and access to health services. The presumption could be made that the substance-abuse behaviors such as consumption of alcohol and drugs despite their physical dependence nature may be cured with the social interference. Overall, health care institutions and policy makers have to pay much more attention to the extremely important issue of young men’s health.

Marcel et al. (2002) states that there are certain risks more likely to happen to males than to females during their adolescence. Among these risks are alcohol and marijuana use, accidental trauma, and violence. (Marcel et al, 2002) Also, there are other significant issues related to young males such as the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancy and as they become older the problems become even more serious because the rates of mortality from behaviorally mediated causes even increase. (Marcel et al, 2002) In addition, there is strong logical argument presented by Mahalik and Levi-Minzi (2007) that explains the men’s greater frequency of health risk behaviors. ”˜Health risk behaviors may be manifestations of how some men construct masculinity.’ (Levi-Minzi, 2007)

It is known that young male adolescents visit health care institutions more frequently than adult males. In younger age boy use health care as frequent as girls. But it has to be clarified that adult males use health care services less often than do adult females. (Marcel et al, 2002) Thus, it is clear that the research of males’ transitional period from adolescents to adulthood is crucially important because it required in order decreasing males’ health risks health.

Chesebro and Fuse (2001) in their article ”˜The Development of a Perceived Masculinity Scale’ identify the masculinity as ”˜the discourses generated by men, unifying men, and revealing the identity and characteristics men ascribe to themselves, others, and their environment’