The coverage of prostate cancer and impotence in four popular men's magazines

The end of this study was to explore popular pres coverage of sum of two units men's health issues, prostate cancer and impotence, in four magazines with large male readerships. The four magazines examined were: Gentleman's Quarterly, Esquire, Men's Health, and Ebony published between 1991 and 2000 contented was compared between the first half and the next to the first half of the decade, which featured a public cancer education campaign; the release of the impotence medicine Viagra[R] (sildenafil citrate); and large increases in magazine advertising receipts from drug companies. Results display magazines ran more articles upon prostate cancer and impotence after 1995; coverage was usually at handed in an informational manner; contented provided information on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases; and men wrote greatest in quantity of the stories.

Keywords: men's health issues, prostate cancer, impotence, media/magazine coverage, Viagra[R]

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Managing personal health and health-related behavior is an intricate and complicated proces Pinpointing exactly what makes a someone decide to take some action concerning his or her health would be an enormous task. Studies have shown the media are useful resources for health information for tribe in their decision-making process (Wright, 1975; Yow 1991) Within the larger population of the mass media are popular magazines. Magazines targeted to the male audience, or magazines with large numbers of male readers, can be a source of health information.

Discourse concerning men's health must first attempt to define exactly what may be considered "men's health." The topic can be described as the prevention and diagnoses of illnesses that afflict the male population. Men's health should also include the personal well-being and quality of life of men more [i]or[/i] less of the more prevalent health issues identified include cardiovascular or heart disease, diabetes, prostate issues, sexually transmitted diseases and other communicable diseases, erectile dysfunction or impotence, suicide, cancer, and accidents/injuries (Men's Health Network, 2001) In novel years, more consumer magazines are attempting to include health-related information in their stories (Featherstone, 1998; Reese 2000) In addition, during the past 10 years, support assemblages have attempted to draw media attention to sum of two units health-related issues, prostate cancer and impotence (Reese 2000)

According to the Center for Disease ascendency (CDC), prostate cancer is the next to the first leading cancer, after skin cancer, diagnosed among men in the United States. Prostate cancer is also next to the first only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society predicted 180400 of recent origin cases of prostate cancer would be diagnosed in 2000 and that approximately 31900 men would die of the disease (CDC 1999) The incidence rate among African-American men is also true high. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and extremity Results (SEER) data, U.S. blacks have the highest rates of this cancer in the world (Wilcox, 1998) The mortality rate for black men is also twice as high as the mortality rate for other men (PCPRG 1998) In general, 80 percent of the clinically diagnosed cases of prostate cancer offer with men aged 65 years or older (CDC 1999)

Another significant issue concerning men's health is impotence, medically known as erectile dysfunction. The primary cause of impotence is a narrowing or clogging of penile arteries owed to arteriosclerosis. Implications from prostate cancer, greatest in quantity notably nerve signal damage, have been linked to impotence ("Ten ed Health 'Truths,'" 2000). However, impotence is also related to anything that helps clogged arteries--including inactivity, a diet high in saturated fat, and smoking or causes from impaired vigor function, such as diabetes. Reports indicate as many as 30 million men in the United States may have varying steps of erectile dysfunction (Lipman, 1998)

Because prostate cancer and impotence arise in a part of a man's material substance associated with sexuality, the impact upon masculinity is an important consideration. Researchers have allude toed that a pattern of hegemonic masculinity exists in U society that relates to by what mode men approach health problems (Schofield et al., 2000) The emphasis upon machismo results in men ignoring health moot points and resisting visits to the doctor because admitting weakness can be seen as a threat to their identity. Men's bodies are seen as instruments that they use to make good to themselves and others that their masculinity is intact (Seidler, 1997) Sexual activity becomes a way of confirming manhood. Prostate cancer and impotence are threats to male masculinity and sexuality that can have psychosocial implications resulting in a los of selfesteem and sexual self-concept (Bokhour et al., 2001)

There are sum of two units medical benchmarks concerning prostate cancer and impotence, which involve the medical community's attempt to involve the media in a discourse about these issues. Since 1966 the Prostate Cancer Initiative (PCI), a national program disentangleed by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), has serv clinical research, patient care, and public education emergencys (ACS, 2001). One such effort began in 1997 CRI (1997) along with US TOO, the largest men's cancer organization in the world, launched an educational initiative to educate men about the detection, diagnosis, and management of the disease. The Prostate Review clump composed of more than 100 members of the prostate cancer communities, also met in 1997 to advance research and education of the disease (PCPRG 1998)