American Journal of Men's Health

There is a notable gap in empirical research regarding how Latino men define and demonstrate machismo, masculinity, and manhood as well as the behavioral consequences associated with these concepts. In our study, we employed a phenomenological thematic approach to analyze 20 semi-structured individual interviews conducted with Latino men residing in South Florida. Our primary objectives were twofold: to examine (1) how do Latino men ages 35 to 60 years describe what it means to be a man and (2) what are the attributes that these men seek to show others that demonstrate their character, cultural values, and gender identity...

Varicocele surgical repair can improve the function of the testis for patients with varicocele. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of varicocele surgical repair on serum hormones and inhibin B levels in patients with varicocele. A literature search was performed in August 2022, and no language or geographic region restrictions were applied. The search included the following databases: PubMed, Embase, and Medline. A literature review was performed to identify all published clinical trials assessing serum hormone and inhibin B levels before and after varicocele surgical repair...

Men aged 50 or older (50 plus) represent a hard-to-reach target group for health-enhancing physical activity (PA) interventions. However, a considerable percentage of men 50 plus do not entirely fail to achieve the PA milestones set by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. They show fluctuating PA behavior, influenced by various barriers hindering or preventing regular PA participation. As "one-size-fits-all" behavioral change interventions are only partially effective in specific subgroups, it is essential to tailor PA promotion measures to the particular needs of male fluctuators 50 plus...

Rates of suicide are seven times higher among Traveller men, an Indigenous ethnic minority group in Ireland, compared with non-Traveller men. Several factors are implicated, including racism, social exclusion, discrimination, inadequate accommodation, unemployment, and lower educational attainment. Systemic and cultural barriers inhibit Traveller men from seeking support. This study addresses a gap in the literature by exploring the lived mental health experiences of Traveller men affected by suicide. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 13; aged 19-50) were conducted with Traveller men affected by suicide...

In South Africa, HIV prevalence for gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (GBMSM) is as high as 49.5%, yet only 25.7% are taking treatment, resulting in transmission risk between partners and the need for dyadic interventions for men in relationships. Through our preliminary research, we identified the evidence-based intervention Healthy Relationships (HR)-an HIV risk assessment and status disclosure intervention for those in relationships-to be tailored into videoconference format for partnered HIV-positive GBMSM in South Africa...

Two in five African American men have obesity, but they are underrepresented in community-based weight loss interventions. This pilot effectiveness trial examines the acceptability and feasibility of the first weight loss study for African American men that includes randomization and individual tailoring. Using a community-based, cluster-randomized, longitudinal parallel group design, four churches were randomized to a control condition or a weight loss condition. Each church received physical activity equipment, a coordinator, and small group physical activity sessions...

Involvement of male partners has been shown to be key for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). Despite the recorded success, uptake and implementation of strategies to involve men in PMTCT continues to be low in Malawi. In this study, we used the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) implementation science framework to explore the implementation of male involvement (MI) strategies in Lilongwe, Malawi. We used a cross-sectional mixed-methods complementary-concurrent design from September to October 2020 in two health facilities...

In December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 was found in China. This virus can affect different organs depending on the coronavirus receptors on the cell surface, which allows the organ to be attacked by the coronavirus. Psychological distress and impaired pulmonary hemodynamics seem to be the cause of decreasing libido or sexual dysfunction after contracting COVID-19. This study was performed to assess the effect of coronavirus on the sexual activity of men. We enrolled 200 men with COVID-19, confirmed by an oropharyngeal sample, who had recovered from the coronavirus for 3 months...

While family planning (FP) programs have the capacity to empower women, support gender equality, and reduce poverty, male involvement is an influential factor for the uptake of FP that has been lacking. In the past decade, there have been more progressive FP policies and growing attention on male involvement in FP in the Philippines, providing an opportunity to develop evidence-based interventions to better integrate men into FP services by approaching care delivery from a family-focused perspective. This paper sought to understand the current role of men in FP services and explore how to strengthen facilitators and overcome barriers to optimize men's involvement in FP in the Philippines...

Men are less likely than women to access or engage with a range of generic health programs across a diversity of settings. Designing health programs that mitigate barriers associated with normative ideals of masculinity has been widely viewed as a key factor in how health systems should respond, but strategies to engage men have often narrowly conceptualized male health behavior and risk inadvertently reinforcing negative and outdated gender stereotypes. Currently absent from the men's health literature is practical guidance on gender-transformative approaches to men's health program design-those which seek to quell harmful gender norms and purposefully promote health equity across wide-ranging issues, intervention types, and service contexts...

This study explored the current status and influencing factors of HIV-related stigma among elderly men (≥50 years old) in rural Chengdu, China. A structured face-to-face interview survey was conducted among 286 elderly males from three towns in Chengdu using convenience sampling, 240 men (83.9%) who had heard of HIV/AIDS were included in the analysis. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the associated factors of HIV-related stigma, including demographic variables, HIV/AIDS knowledge level, receiving HIV/AIDS-related health education in the past year, depression, and anxiety, and to examine the moderating effect of educational level on HIV/AIDS knowledge and HIV-related stigma...

Health status during the reproductive years influences fecundity, fertility, and the future health of males and their offspring. There remains a dearth of literature examining men's preconception health, especially among high-risk populations, such as those with disabilities. The objective of this study was to examine indicators of preconception health, including chronic medical conditions, lifestyle behaviors, and health care utilization, among males of reproductive age with and without disabilities in the United States...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a pandemic disease and a global concern, is a respiratory tract infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Besides its common symptoms, some other less common symptoms, including genital ulcers, have been reported. Other complications such as autoimmune disease can present with genital ulcers. Differential diagnosis includes Reiter syndrome, Behcet's disease, and psoriasis. We report a 32-year-old married man with genital ulcers due to COVID-19 infection and as a complication of his disease...

Despite the efforts to ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are integrated into global, regional, and national initiatives, a significant number of countries are overwhelmed by frames of exclusion and violations of fundamental human rights, particularly for sexual and gender minority groups such as lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people. This study sought to review the literature on access and barriers faced by sexual and gender minorities. A scoping literature review was conducted on literature that focused on sexual and gender minorities and sexual and reproductive health services and published in the English language...

South Asian gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the United States are subsumed under the broad, heterogeneous category of Asian GBMSM in national surveillance systems. Disaggregated data on their rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing are not publicly reported. This is problematic as the diversity of ancestries, cultures, and customs across subgroups of Asian GBMSM may contribute to differential HIV and STI testing experiences. To address this deficit in knowledge, 115 South Asian GBMSM recruited through social media advertising and peer referral were surveyed about their patterns of HIV and STI testing...

African American (AA) males have a higher incidence and mortality rate for some cancers than other races and sexes, which could be associated with distress during treatment, medical mistrust, and health disparities. We hypothesize distress in AA males during treatment is higher than in other races and sexes. We assessed effect modification of moderate to severe (≥ 4) distress scores during cancer treatment by race and sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES). National Comprehensive Cancer Network's distress thermometer (scale 0-10) and characteristics for 770 cancer patients were collected from a Philadelphia hospital...

Testicular fibrous pseudotumor is a rare benign disease that is often misdiagnosed as testicular malignancy before surgery. We present a case of a 38-year-old male who had painless palpable masses in the left scrotum. Testicular tumor marker levels were within normal limits, and ultrasound revealed paratesticular masses. Intraoperative rapid diagnosis indicated a fibrous pseudotumor without malignancy. We successfully removed all the masses, along with the testis and a portion of the spermatic cord sheath, avoiding unnecessary orchiectomy...

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of pelvic floor low-frequency electrical stimulation combined with anus lifting training in the treatment of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy in a Chinese cohort. Fifty-five patients with urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy were randomly divided into treatment group and control group. Patients in control group received only anus lifting training therapy, while treatment group combined with pelvic floor low-frequency electrical stimulation. The urinary control including urinary incontinence questionnaire (ICI-Q-SF), urinary incontinence quality of life (I-QOL), visual analogue scale (VAS), and pelvic floor muscle strength assessment (Glazer) of the two groups of patients before treatment and every week was recorded for statistical analysis...

Human β-defensins (hBDs) are cationic peptides with an amphipathic spatial shape and a high cysteine content. The members of this peptide family have been found in the human body with various functions, including the human reproductive system. Of among β-defensins in the human body, β-defensin 1, β-defensin 2, and β-defensin 126 are known in the human reproductive system. Human β-defensin 1 interacts with chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) in the male reproductive system to prevent bacterial infections...