Scientists are increasingly inclined to believe that the fact that men live less than women (an average of seven years) is associated not with physiological characteristics, but with a lifestyle. Men, more often than women, die violently, and they turn to doctors less if they feel bad. "Men are taught not to respond to the pain and symptoms of the disease," says Jean Bonhomme, a physician at Emory University in Atlanta.

Sometimes it is more difficult to change the behavior of men than to change their physiology, but Dr. Bonn and other activists are increasingly struggling to narrow the gap in life expectancy between men and women.

Last week, two new events took place in the mainstream of the nascent movement for men's health: the Journal of Men's Health and Gender debuted and the first US conference on men's health.

Like the conference, the first issue covers a variety of topics, ranging from osteoporosis in men and ending with how gender affects communication between patients and physicians.

Bonom and other activists of the movement for men's health advocate the view that what is good for a man is good for a woman.

"Medicine that does not take into account the difference between biological sex does not serve good men or women," said Donna Stewart from the Department of Women's Health of the University of Toronto. Dr. Stewart, who wrote the main editorial in the first issue of the new magazine, is a member of his editorial board.

The conference also featured Wanda Jones (Wanda Jones) from the Department of Women's Health of the Ministry of Health and Human Services. Her opinion: "If we continue to cut one size fits all, it will be harmful to both men and women. It's time to recognize and accept the differences and be ready to act on these differences ".

This will not only require medical research, she says.. "In addition to biological, we must consider some sociological and anthropological aspects. Being a woman and being a man are two completely different things ".

Dr. Stewart can confirm this. She and her colleagues interviewed more than 1,000 hospitalized patients who had a heart attack, to understand what they most want to know now about their health. It turned out that women are keen to learn more about increased blood pressure and pain in the chest, as well as how to take care of themselves. While the men were interested, first of all, whether the heart attack affected the potency.

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