| R 354 |
| 2022 -- S 2999 Enacted 06/07/2022 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING JUNE OF 2022, TO BE "MEN'S HEALTH MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, McCaffrey, Lombardo, Burke, Acosta, Picard, Zurier, Archambault, DiPalma, and F Lombardi |
| Date Introduced: June 07, 2022 |
| WHEREAS, As of 2019, men in the United States had a life expectancy of 76.3 years, |
| approximately five years less than women. Native American and African-American males have |
| even lower life expectancies. One of the reasons for this disparity is the fact that men are often |
| reluctant to go to the doctor, with studies showing that women go to the doctor twice as often as |
| men. Even when ill, many men will avoid seeing a doctor, with forty percent admitting to waiting |
| days before seeing a doctor, and seventeen percent admitting to waiting up to a week before |
| seeing a doctor when ill; and |
| WHEREAS, Only sixty percent of men get annual physicals. More than fifty percent of |
| men say they do not talk about their health, and according to the National Institutes of Health, |
| more than sixty percent of American men are overweight or obese; and |
| WHEREAS, As of 2018, the leading causes of death for men were heart disease and |
| cancer. Annually, 230,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer making it the second overall |
| leading cause of death amongst men. In addition, mental health issues are common amongst |
| American men, with suicide ranking as the eighth leading cause of death, and the Centers for |
| Disease Control reports that males are more likely than females to die from COVID-19; and |
| WHEREAS, Many of these illnesses can be prevented or treated properly through annual |
| screenings, regular visits to a physician, and getting vaccinated for COVID-19. Men who do so |
| are better educated about their health and live longer and happier lives. Fathers who take care of |
| their health and choose to live healthier lifestyles serve as important role models for their |
| children; and |
| WHEREAS, While all of June is Men's Health Month, Friday, June 17, 2022, is "Wear |
| Blue Day" in which all organizations and individuals are encouraged to raise awareness and |
| much-needed funds to educate men about the importance of getting regular check-ups and |
| screenings to get information on health issues such as testicular and prostate cancer, as well as |
| cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, diabetes, skin cancer, and mental health well-being; now, |
| therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby proclaims June of |
| 2022, to be "Men's Health Month" in the State of Rhode Island; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Director James McDonald, MD, MPH, Interim |
| Director, Rhode Island Department of Health. |
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| LC005543 |
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