LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim June 11-17, 2012 as Men's Health week in the State of New York,
in conjunction with National Men's Health Week

WHEREAS, June 11-17, 2012, is National Men's Health Week, which its sole
purpose is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and
encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys;
and
WHEREAS, National Men's Health Week was established by Congress in
1994 and urges men and their families to engage in appropriate health
behaviors; the resulting increased awareness has improved health-related
education and has helped prevent illness; and
WHEREAS, Despite advances in medical technology and research, men
continue to live an average of more than five years less than women, and
African-American men have the lowest life expectancy; and
WHEREAS, 9 of the 10 leading causes of death, as defined by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, affect men at a higher
percentage than women; and
WHEREAS, Between ages 45 and 54, men are over 1 1/2 times more likely
than women to die of heart attacks; and
WHEREAS, Men die of heart disease at 1 1/2 times the rate of women;
and
WHEREAS, Men die of cancer at almost 1 1/2 times the rate of women;
and
WHEREAS, Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men
aged 15 to 34, and, when detected early, has a 96 percent survival rate;
and
WHEREAS, The number of cases of colon cancer among men will continue
to increase in 2012, and most of those men will die from the disease;
and
WHEREAS, The likelihood that a man will develop prostate cancer is 1
in 6; and
WHEREAS, The number of men who develop prostate cancer in 2012 is
expected to reach more than 217,730, and an estimated 32,050 of those
men will die from the disease; and
WHEREAS, African-American men in the United States have the highest
incidence in the world of prostate cancer; and
WHEREAS, Significant numbers of health problems that affect men, such
as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer, and infertility,
could be detected and treated if awareness among men of those problems
was more pervasive; and
WHEREAS, More than 1/2 of the elderly widows now living in poverty
were not poor before the death of their husbands, and by age 100, women
outnumber men by a ratio of 4 to 1; and
WHEREAS, Educating both the public and health care providers about the
importance of early detection of male health problems will result in
reducing rates of mortality for those diseases; and
WHEREAS, Appropriate use of tests such as prostate specific antigen
exams, blood pressure screens, and cholesterol screens, in conjunction
with clinical examination and self-testing for problems such as testicu-
lar cancer, can result in the detection of many of those problems in
their early stages and increase the survival rates to nearly 100
percent; and
WHEREAS, Women are two times more likely than men to visit their
doctor for annual examinations and preventative services; and

WHEREAS, Men are less likely than women to visit their health center
or physician for regular screening examinations of male-related problems
for a variety of reasons; and
WHEREAS, Congress established National Men's Health Week in 1994, and
urged men and their families to engage in appropriate health behaviors,
and the resulting increased awareness has improved health-related educa-
tion and helped prevent illness; and
WHEREAS, Since 1994, National Men's Health Week has been celebrated
each June by dozens of States, cities, localities, public health depart-
ments, health care entities, churches, and community organizations
throughout the United States that promote health awareness events
focused on men and family; and
WHEREAS, Men who are educated about the value that preventive health
can play in prolonging their lifespans and their roles as productive
family members will be more likely to participate in health screenings;
and
WHEREAS, Men and their families are encouraged to increase their
awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise,
and medical checkups; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body challenges everyone to help promote
health awareness events focused on men, women and children to live a
healthier lifestyle; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 11-17, 2012, as
Men's Health Week in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.