The college’s newest specific interest group plans to develop a new RACGP position statement on men’s health.
A new RACGP specific interest group (SIG) will be working toward formal recognition of extended skills in men’s health, with its inaugural chair questioning why Australian men have a lower life expectancy than women.
Announced today, the men’s health SIG aims to “address the significant gaps in men’s health outcomes and engagement with preventive care”.
According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian women have an average life expectancy of 85 while Australian men have a life expectancy of 81.
“Work like Richard Reeves’ book Of Boys and Men made me question my own view of why men die four or five years earlier than women in Australia, as a consequence of stereotypes about male self-neglect or unproven theories that men dying younger is a ‘natural’ outcome of genetics,” inaugural SIG chair Dr Alex Romain said.
“This health inequality wouldn’t be acceptable for another group of patients. I wondered how did we even get here, and more importantly, what is the way forward out of it?”
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Deputy chair for the group is Dr Greg Malcher. Both Dr Romain and Dr Malcher are based in the regional Victorian town of Daylesford.
“While we might not be the first patch in the quilt, general practice is the main arena for any meaningful change to improve the health of Australian boys and men,” Dr Romain said.
“We all have a vested interest in our dads, brothers, husbands, and sons being the healthiest they can be. I’m excited to work with my GP colleagues across Australia to shift the dial.”
Other than working toward an RACGP position statement on men’s health and a formal recognition of extended skills in men’s health, the new SIG says it will encourage GPs to “forge ongoing relationships with men who might otherwise … defer attending a GP”, strengthen the capacity of the RACGP to provide quality care for men and boys and contribute to community awareness-raising activities.
