If Feminism Was About Equality…

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1. There would be baby blue ribbons on consumer products to fund research for testicular and prostate cancer.

“Testicular cancer, the leading cancer in men 15-35, can strike at any age, yet it’s hardly talked about. When detected early, it has a survival rate of over 95%. We encourage monthly testicular self-exams for men, knowing this is the most effective method of early detection.”

2. There would be walkathons to fund research for testicular and prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. But who is most at risk of getting prostate cancer and why?

There are several major factors that influence risk, and some of them unfortunately cannot be changed.

Age: The older you are, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Although only 1 in 10,000 men under age 40 will be diagnosed, the rate shoots up to 1 in 38 for ages 40 to 59, and 1 in 14 for ages 60 to 69.

In fact, more than 65% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. The average age at diagnosis of prostate cancer in the United States is 69 years. After that age, the chance of developing prostate cancer becomes more common than any other cancer in men or women.

Race: African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men and are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. Conversely, Asian men who live in Asia have the lowest risk.”

3. There would be a greater concern of men’s sexual dysfunction.

“A sexual problem, or sexual dysfunction, refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual or couple from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity. The sexual response cycle has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

While research suggests that sexual dysfunction is common (43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of difficulty), it is a topic that many people are hesitant to discuss. Fortunately, most cases of sexual dysfunction are treatable, so it is important to share your concerns with your partner and doctor.”

4. There would be more discussion on men’s genital disorders.

Priapism is a persistent, often painful erection lasting more than 4 hours in duration. The priapism erection is not associated with sexual activity and is not relieved by orgasm. It occurs when blood flows into the penis but is not adequately drained.

Peyronie’s disease (also termed Peyronie disease) is the development of scar tissue inside the penis that causes the penis to develop abnormal curvature (contracture) in the scarred area. The disease may occur in about 1% to 8% of men, most frequently in men aged about 40 to 70 years old. It can occasionally occur in younger men.

Balanitis is an inflammation of the skin of the head of penis (glans penis). If the foreskin is involved as well, it is referred to as balanoposthitis.
Phimosis is the inability to retract the foreskin behind the glans in males.

5. There would be more penile cancer awareness.

“About 95% of penile cancers develop from flat skin cells called squamous cells. Squamous cell cancers can develop anywhere on the penis. Most of these cancers are found on the foreskin (in men who have not been circumcised) or on the glans. These tumors tend to grow slowly. If they are found at an early stage, these tumors can usually be cured.”

6. There would be debate about sex offender laws and registration.

‘The public branding of sex offenders through online registries is a reaction to horrible, highly publicized crimes, such as Megan Kanka’s murder, in which strangers abduct, rape, and kill children. But this sort of crime is exceedingly rare. Data from the Justice Department’s National Crime Victimization Survey indicate that more than 90 percent of sexually abused minors are assaulted by relatives or acquaintances—people they trust. (According to the same survey, strangers commit just one in four sexual assaults on adults. They commit only 14 percent of sexual assaults reported to police.) Furthermore, according to a 1997 Justice Department study, nearly 9 out of 10 people arrested for sex offenses have no prior convictions for this category of crime, so they would not show up in sex offender registries.

Meanwhile, the people on sex offender lists may pose little or no threat. A 2007 report by Human Rights Watch found that “at least 28 states require registration as a sex offender for someone convicted of having consensual sex with another teenager, if the offender was either age 17 or two years older than the other party.” Eleven states set no minimum age difference. “It’s one thing if you are a 40-year-old having sex with a 13-year-old,” says the report’s co-author and editor, Jamie Fellner, senior adviser to the U.S. Program of Human Rights Watch. “It’s another thing if you’re a 17-year-old boy having sex with your 16-year-old or 15-year-old girlfriend. Registration as a sex offender is just completely inappropriate there, does nothing to promote public safety, but ruins lives.”

7. There would be more women convicted of raping men.

“The study also found that males and females carried out sexual violence at strikingly similar rates after the age of 18 — 52% of males and 48% of females. The study classified sexual violence into a few categories: foresexual or presexual contact (kissing, touching, etc. against their will), coercive sex, attempted rape, and completed rape. Women were more likely to instigate unwanted foresexual contact.

For male sexual assault victims of any age, convincing others that they’ve been preyed upon is difficult as well. Experts say the general disparity in physical strength comes into play — can’t a man fight off a woman?”

8. There would be more research into domestic violence against men.

“Sometimes it is impossible to ignore the problem, but when domestic violence against men turns deadly — as in the case of actor Phil Hartman — the focus tends to shift to mental illness. The same can be said of the Andrea Yates case, which many pundits presented as the story of how an insensitive husband can drive a wife to murder.”

“A recent 32-nation study revealed that more than 51% of men and 52% of women felt that there were times when it was appropriate for a wife to slap her husband. By comparison, only 26% of men and 21% of women felt that there were times when it was appropriate for a husband to slap his wife. Murray Straus, creator of the Conflict Tactics Scale and one of the authors of the study, explained this discrepancy: “We don’t perceive men as victims. We see women as being more vulnerable than men.”

9. There would be more research into men’s mental health

“Men are more likely than women to report alcohol and drug abuse or dependence in their lifetime; however, there is debate among researchers as to whether substance use is a “symptom” of underlying depression in men, or a co-occurring condition that more commonly develops in men. Nevertheless, substance use can mask depression, making it harder to recognize depression as a separate illness that needs treatment. Instead of acknowledging their feelings, asking for help, or seeking appropriate treatment, men may turn to alcohol or drugs when they are depressed, or become frustrated, discouraged, angry, irritable and, sometimes, violently abusive. Some men deal with depression by throwing themselves compulsively into their work, attempting to hide their depression from themselves, family, and friends; other men may respond to depression by engaging in reckless behavior, taking risks, and putting themselves in harm’s way”

“Four times as many men as women die by suicide in the United States, even though women make more suicide attempts during their lives. In addition to the fact that the methods men use to attempt suicide are generally more lethal than those methods used by women, there may be other issues that protect women against suicide death. In light of research indicating that suicide is often associated with depression, the alarming suicide rate among men may reflect the fact that men are less likely to seek treatment for depression. Many men with depression do not obtain adequate diagnosis and treatment, which may be life saving.”

10. There would be more homeless shelters for men to curb chronic homelessness.

In 2012, on a single night, there were 99,894 adults experiencing chronic homelessness in America; representing 15.8 percent of all people experiencing homelessness. Chronic homelessness declined by 7 percent between 2011 and 2012, and 19 percent since 2007. Three-quarters are men with the average age approaching 50. Almost one-third are Veterans. Most go unsheltered and, despite disabling conditions, are not enrolled in Medicaid or other insurance programs.

image – Chase Carter