S.Res. 473 — Agreed to in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 473 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 12, 2014 Mr. Crapo submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of National Men’s Health Week. Whereas, despite advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of 5 years less than women, and African-American men have the lowest life expectancy; Whereas 9 of the 10 leading causes of death, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, affect men at a higher percentage than women; Whereas, between ages 45 and 54, men are more than 1½ times more likely than women to die of heart attacks; Whereas men die of heart disease at 1½ times the rate of women; Whereas men die of cancer at almost 1½ times the rate of women; Whereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between ages 15 and 34, and, when detected early, has a 96 percent survival rate; Whereas the number of cases of colon cancer among men will be over 48,000 in 2014, and more than half of those men will die from the disease; Whereas the likelihood that a man will develop prostate cancer is 1 in 6; Whereas the number of men who develop prostate cancer in 2014 is expected to reach more than 230,000, and an estimated 29,480 of those men will die from the disease; Whereas African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence of prostate cancer; Whereas significant numbers of health problems that affect men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer, and infertility, could be detected and treated if awareness among men of those problems was more pervasive; Whereas more than half of the elderly widows now living in poverty were not poor before the death of their husbands; Whereas educating both the public and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems will result in reducing rates of mortality for those diseases; Whereas appropriate use of tests such as prostate specific antigen 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 those problems in their early stages and increase the survival rates to nearly 100 percent; Whereas women are 2 times more likely than men to visit their doctors for annual examinations and preventive services; Whereas men are less likely than women to visit their health centers or physicians for regular screening examinations of male-related problems for a variety of reasons; Whereas Congress established National Men’s Health Week in 1994 and urged men and their families to engage in appropriate health behaviors, and the resulting increased awareness has improved health-related education and helped prevent illness; Whereas the Governors of all 50 States have issued proclamations declaring Men’s Health Week in their respective States, as have Mayors of over 40 cities; Whereas, since 1994, National Men’s Health Week has been celebrated each June by dozens of States, cities, localities, public health departments, health care entities, churches, and community organizations throughout the United States that promote health awareness events focused on men and family; Whereas the National Men’s Health Week Internet website has been established at www.menshealthweek.org and features Governors’ proclamations, Mayoral proclamations, and National Men’s Health Week events; Whereas men who are educated about the value that preventive health can play in prolonging their lifespans and their roles as productive family members will be more likely to participate in health screenings; Whereas men and their families are encouraged to increase their awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and medical checkups; Whereas June 9 through 15, 2014, is National Men’s Health Week; and Whereas the purpose of National 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: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) celebrates the 20th anniversary of National Men's Health Week; (2) supports the annual National Men's Health Week; and (3) calls upon the people of the United States and interested groups to observe National Men's Health Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.