Once again, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is a recognized partner in promoting National Men's Health Week and is raising awareness of the interconnection between hearing loss and a man's overall physical, psychological, and fiscal wellbeing.BHI is urging men across America to get their hearing checked and is educating the public and media about how hearing aids can benefit the vast majority of people with hearing loss.
More than half of the 34 million people in the United States with hearing loss—a full 60 percent—are male. And of those, more than 15 million suffer from unaddressed hearing loss.
Men's Health Week is celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father's Day. Its purpose is to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Men's Health Week gives healthcare providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.
While all of June is observed as National Men's Health Month, National Men's Health Week is a special period recognized by Congress. The Week was signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. This year, National Men's Health Week runs from June 11 through 17.
BHI looks forward to raising awareness of how hearing health is linked to other aspects of a man's health;how it affects his quality of life, relationships, and earnings;and how hearing aids can benefit the vast majority of men with hearing loss.
We encourage hearing healthcare professionals across the country to join us in our efforts. Here are several ideas for promoting National Men's Health Week:
- Use BHI-developed materials to promote Men's Health Week: customizable press release and men's hearing health fact sheet.
- Organize a hearing screening in your community, or encourage hearing checks by advertising a Father's Day "I Care" gift card with a professional hearing check as a gift.
- Encourage men to take the BHI online hearing test at www.hearingcheck.org.
- Host a health fair. Distribute men's health information including BHI's Men's Hearing Health Fact Sheet.
- Set up a table at a store, restaurant, work, gym, library, or community center with information on men's health, hearing health, and National Men's Health Week.
- Ask local churches and other faith-based organizations to talk about National Men's Health Week and the importance of hearing health to family life in church publications.
- Send information through listservs (your email lists).
- Hang posters in prominent locations at your office, library, local mall, or church.
Thank you for helping to raise awareness of the importance of hearing health.
