[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5460-S5461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THURMOND:
  S. 2616. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish 
an Office of Men's Health; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, this week in the United States we are 
commemorating Men's Health Week. The National Men's Health Week Act was 
passed by Congress and signed into law in 1994. Since then Men's Health 
Week has been celebrated each year as the week leading up to and 
including Father's Day. I was proud to be a cosponsor of that Act. 
Today, I rise to introduce the Men's Health Act of 2002, to establish 
an Office of Men's Health within the Department of Health and Human 
Services to promote men's health in America.
  In this Nation, there is an ongoing, increasing, and predominantly 
silent crisis in the health and well-being of men. Due to a lack of 
awareness, poor health education, and culturally-induced behavior 
patterns, the state of men's health and well-being is deteriorating 
steadily. Heart disease, stroke, and various cancers, including 
prostate and testicular cancer, continue to be

[[Page S5461]]

major areas of concern. We must address these issues with diligent 
educational efforts, prevention and treatment as we seek to enhance the 
quality and duration of men's lives. Improved distribution of 
information concerning the health challenges men face and the 
utilization of the appropriate preventive measures are imperative to 
addressing this need.
  As a lifelong advocate of regular medical exams, daily exercise, and 
a balanced diet, I feel strongly that an Office of Men's Health should 
be established to help improve the overall health of America's male 
population. The bill I am introducing is similar to a bill introduced 
in the House of Representatives. I invite my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this important measure. I ask unanimous consent that the 
text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2616

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Men's Health Act of 2002''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) A silent health crisis is affecting the health and 
     well-being of America's men.
       (2) While this health crisis is of particular concern to 
     men, it is also a concern for women regarding their fathers, 
     husbands, sons, and brothers.
       (3) Men's health is a concern for employers who pay the 
     costs of medical care, and lose productive employees.
       (4) Men's health is a concern to Federal and State 
     governments which absorb the enormous costs of premature 
     death and disability, including the costs of caring for 
     dependents left behind.
       (5) The life expectancy gap between men and women has 
     increased from one year in 1920 to almost six years in 1998.
       (6) Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer 
     in the United States among men, accounting for 36 percent of 
     all cancer cases.
       (7) An estimated 180,000 men will be newly diagnosed with 
     prostate cancer this year alone, and 37,000 will die.
       (8) The American Heart Association reports that heart 
     attack is the single biggest killer of American males. Men 
     are more likely to die of stroke and are almost twice as 
     likely to die of heart disease than are women. High blood 
     pressure increases the risk for stroke and heart attack and 
     men under age 55 are much more likely to suffer from high 
     blood pressure than are women.
       (9) An estimated 7,600 men will be diagnosed this year with 
     testicular cancer, and 400 of these men will die of this 
     disease in 2002. A common reason for delay in treatment of 
     this disease is a delay in seeking medical attention after 
     discovering a testicular mass.
       (10) Studies show that men are at least 25 percent less 
     likely than women to visit a doctor, and are significantly 
     less likely to have regular physician check-ups and obtain 
     preventive screening tests for serious diseases.
       (11) Appropriate use of tests such as prostate specific 
     antigen (PSA) exams and blood pressure, blood sugar, and 
     cholesterol screens, in conjunction with clinical exams and 
     self-testing, can result in the early detection of many 
     problems and in increased survival rates.
       (12) 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 for 
     male-specific diseases, as well as improve the health of 
     America's men and its overall economic well-being.
       (13) Recent scientific studies have shown that regular 
     medical exams, preventive screenings, regular exercise, and 
     healthy eating habits can help save lives.
       (14) Establishing an Office of Men's Health is needed to 
     investigate these findings and take such further actions as 
     may be needed to promote men's health.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF MEN'S HEALTH.

       (a) In General.--Title XVII of the Public Health Service 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 300u et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:


                        ``office of men's health

       ``Sec. 1711. The Secretary shall establish within the 
     Department of Health and Human Services an office to be known 
     as the Office of Men's Health, which shall be headed by a 
     director appointed by the Secretary. The Secretary, acting 
     through the Director of the Office, shall coordinate and 
     promote the status of men's health in the United States.''.
       (b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, acting through the Director of the Office of Men's 
     Health (established under section 1711 of the Public Health 
     Service Act as added by subsection (a)), shall submit to 
     Congress a report describing the activities of such Office, 
     including findings that the Director has made regarding men's 
     health.

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