04-R
090
2004 -- S 2846
Enacted 02/11/04
S E N A T E R
E S O L U T I O N
MEMORALIZING CONGRESS TO AMEND
THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF MEN'S HEALTH
Introduced By: Senator Leo
R. Blais
Date
Introduced: February 11, 2004
WHEREAS,
Male morbidity and mortality from preventable causes is substantial, with
significant and alarming
disparities among subpopulations of men based on race, ethnicity and
socioeconomic status; and
WHEREAS,
A silent health crises is affecting the health and well being of American
men; and
WHEREAS,
This health crisis is of particular concern to men but is also a concern for
women, especially those who
have fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers; and
WHEREAS,
The National Center for Health Statistics has shown that men have higher
age-adjusted death rates than
women for each of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United
States; and
WHEREAS,
Men are almost twice as likely as women to die from heart disease and the
incidence of stroke is over 10%
higher in men than in women; and
WHEREAS,
Men are 50% more likely to die of cancer than women; and
WHEREAS,
The life expectancy gap between men and women has steadily increased
from one year in 1920 to 5 ½
years in 2000; and
WHEREAS,
Since women live longer and tend to marry men older than themselves, 7
out of 10 “baby boom” women
will outlive their husbands – many of whom can expect to be
widows for 15 to 20 years; and
WHEREAS,
Compared with men; older women are three times more likely to be living
alone, are nearly twice as
likely to reside in a nursing home, and are more than twice as likely to
live in poverty; and
WHEREAS,
More than one-half the elderly widows now living in poverty were not poor
before the death of their
husbands; and
WHEREAS,
Studies show that the huge disparity between men and women is due in part
to a lack of awareness, poor
health education and the low number of male-specific health
programs. Men are one-half as
likely as women to visit a doctor for regular physician check-ups
or to obtain preventative
screening tests for serious diseases; and
WHEREAS,
Men’s health is also a concern for employers who lose productive
employees as well as pay the
cost of medical care; and
WHEREAS,
Men’s health is also a concern for Federal and State governments and
society which absorb the
enormous costs of premature death and disability, including the costs of
caring for dependents left
behind; and
WHEREAS,
Every state has formed a commission to address women’s issues or has
established a women’s health
program, but only seven states have a commission to address men’s
issues or a men’s health
program; and
WHEREAS,
Educating men, their families and health care providers about the
importance of early detection
of male health problems can result in reducing rates of mortality of
male-specific diseases as well
as improve the health of America’s men and its overall economic
well-being; now, therefore be
it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
hereby acknowledges the
importance of men’s health issues and advocates support of men’s
health activities so that
existing government health networks can be utilized to increase the health
and well being of men; and be
it further
RESOLVED,
That this Senate supports and encourages national, state and local efforts to
secure access and remove
barriers to healthcare for men and their family members by supporting
existing federal legislation
(S. 1028 & H.R. 1734) and the passage of state legislation addressing
men’s health issues; and be it
further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies
of this resolution to the members of the Rhode Island Congressional
Delegation to the Congress of
the United States.
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LC01811
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