Features archive

We're worth it!

Fundamentally, I do believe men's health matters and the emergence of what might be called a "men's health movement" over the past two decades has only served to reinforce this message.  Nevertheless, striking inequalities still persists and it is because their origins are so complex and multi-factorial that successful interventions to improve our health may only become evident some years down the line.  Put simply, men are by no means a homogenous group and so we learn what works.....slowly....Read more

Who's afraid of spiders

What makes a man a "real man"?  It's a question I have been asking friends, family and work colleagues recently.  All were women and all gave very similar answers.  The consensus was that a "real man" is tough, a bit rough, he's also brave, successful, and most definitely is not afraid of spiders.  The last answer was given mainly by my family as a reference to my screaming fear of all beasties. What it made clear to me was that I'm not really a "real man".  Read more

Sexual Health in Scotland

Sexual health in Scotland remains poor.  Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that the incidence of sexual ill-health in the Scottish population remains unacceptably high.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes so many people ignore their health and well-being around sex, but many people have no concept of changing their behaviour to keep themselves safe from unnecessary consequences of sexual activity.  Read more

What do we think we know and what do we really know about men’s health?

We’ve all heard stories that suggest that ‘macho’ men won’t talk about their health and have to be dragged to the doctor by women.  And yet we also hear tales of how ‘man flu’ has left men helpless but still loudly complaining.  Should we be more sceptical about these stereotypes?  What do we think we know and what do we really know about men’s health?  Read more

The Gender Equality Duty - what does it mean for NHS Scotland?

In April 2007, the biggest change in sex equality legislation came into place since the 1970’s.  The Gender Equality Duty (GED) means that all public authorities, including the NHS in Scotland, have to consider the need to:

• eliminate sex discrimination and harassment
• promote equality of opportunity between women and men

The new Duty means that NHS boards now have to ensure the design, development and delivery of services takes into account the different needs of girls and boys and women and men.  Read more

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar is a relatively common disorder affecting about 1 in a 100 people.  People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of extreme mood swings, from depression to mania.  The mood spectrum looks like this:

	Mania
	Hypomania
	Normal Mood
	Dysthymia
	Depression

Read more