[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E909-E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL MEN'S HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National 
Men's Health Month a time to focus attention and heighten awareness of 
preventable health problems affecting men and boys and encourage early 
detection and treatment.
  Men's Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, 
health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and 
outreach activities.
  The National Men's Health Network has encouraged the development of 
thousands of health awareness activities as corporations, hospital 
systems, clinics, faith-based communities, the public sector, and 
others use the month of June to highlight their services and reach out 
to men and their families.
  In my district of Houston, Texas, this information has led to the 
increase in men being conscious about their risk factors for prostate 
cancer and other diseases.
  The University of Houston has an entire clinic specializing in men's 
health for the Houston community to collect information and receive 
treatment; this clinic provides educational and specialized services 
that encourage men of all ages and ethnicities to implement positive 
lifestyle changes.

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  I encourage all men, young and older, and their families, to develop 
positive and proactive attitudes toward health and wellness, engage in 
preventive behaviors, lead healthy lifestyles, and seek timely medical 
advice and care.
  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, afflicting 1 out of 
every 11 American men and killing 34,000 men every year.
  In the past 6 years, the death rate for prostate cancer has grown at 
almost twice the death rate of breast cancer.
  The American Cancer Society estimates for 2015 the number of new 
cases for prostate cancer to be 220,800, and the number of deaths to be 
27,540 from prostate cancer.
  For African-American men, the rate of affliction is even worse; 
African-American men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in 
the world.
  These are not just statistics, each of these numbers represent a 
father, brother, son, uncle, or cousin who has been affected and passed 
away from this treatable disease.
  Mr. Speaker, much progress has been made in the past 21 years with 
improvements in the health and well-being of men and boys, with a 
dramatic improvement in life expectancy and surprising drops in key 
mortality indicators.
  There has been a steep drop among males in overall mortality, and 
corresponding improvements in the mortality rates for cancer and 
cardiovascular diseases.
  Our goal this month should be to raise awareness about men's health 
in our communities and to rededicate ourselves to providing support for 
our men by further educating ourselves and our communities on men's 
health and effects.
  Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just an issue 
of concern to me because it impacts wives, mothers, daughters, and 
sisters.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Congresswoman, wife, mother and now grandmother, I 
can personally attest to the importance of heightening the awareness of 
preventable health problems as well as encouraging the early detection 
of disease that affect our young men's lives.
  Men's health is truly a family issue.

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