Why all the fuss about men’s health? (Tropical Ear, May 2012)

A great article on men's health appeared in the May edition of "Tropical Ear" a monthly news letter from the Townsville Mackay Medicare Local ( Previously the Townsville Division of General Practice) distributed to health service providers across the region. The article highlights some issues around men's health including family violence, with reference to the One in Three Campaign.

The impact of violence or risk of violence is often underestimated in men’s lives. This includes exposure to violence and trauma in the workplace and community settings but unfortunately also involves family violence. Whilst much has rightly been said and done to address violence against women, the fact remains that men are more frequently victims of violence in general and account for one in three victims of family violence. (See www.oneinthree.com.au)

Regrettably no or very limited services are available to address these issues for men, and although existing Domestic Violence services ostensibly cater to men and women the reality is that they are governed by an entrenched ideology that domestic violence is a gendered phenomenon (the Duluth Model) where men are only seen as perpetrators and women only as victims.

Men approaching such services are more likely to be re-victimised by being branded as perpetrators and offered a perpetrator treatment program rather than the help they and their family actually need.