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STUDENT HEALTH CENTER

Hey!
Know what's X-treme??
College guys' health risks!


MEN'S HEALTH

IT'S A NO BRAINER!

RISKY BEHAVIOR

BE AWARE! DON'T LET EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES BECOME RECKLESS!

- Driving
- Drinking
- Sports
- Sex
  • Every hour, a 15- to 24-year-old is killed in a car crash -3 out of 4 of those killed are men
  • Each year 197,000 robberies, and 66,100 aggravated assaults involve alcohol use by the offender
  • 8 out of 10 spinal cord victims are men and 55% are 16 to 30 years old -recreational sports and car crashes are the main causes
  • 3 out of 4 men are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections

A FEW PRECAUTIONS CAN GO A LONG WAY TOWARD PROTECTING YOUR LIFE!

  • Think safety!
  • Use seat belts!
  • Think DEFENSE when driving!
  • Avoid EXCESSIVE and inappropriate use of drugs and alcohol
  • Obey rules and use safety equipment while doing sports- like bike helmets
  • Practice safe sex

ALCOHOL ABUSE


WE ALL KNOW THE STORY, BUT IT HAS REAL IMPLICATIONS...>
WHY DO SOME MEN DRINK A LOT?

- To numb emotions
- To try to prove manhood
- To outdrink friends
- To try to impress girls

WHY SHOULDN'T MEN DRINK A LOT?

  • 1 in 3 college men have driven after drinking
  • 60% of college men have ridden with a drunk driver
  • Half of college men's deaths in car crashes are alcohol related
  • Alcohol is a depressant and can result in suicide
  • Each year 183,100 rapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender
  • YOU CAN DIE!!! NUFF SAID.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO DRINKING A LOT

  • Exercise -proven to increase mental and physical health
  • Play music
  • Spend time with a friend
  • Have consensual, protected sex
  • Remember the consensual, protected sex you had

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO DRINK LESS!!!

TESTICULAR CANCER

TESTICULAR CANCER IS MORE COMMON IN MEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 35 THAN ANY OTHER AGE!

TESTICULAR SELF EXAM

  1. Do it in the shower when your body's warm
  2. Roll your testicles ("balls") between your thumbs and fingers (gently!!)
  3. Don't freak if one testicle is larger than the other -- that's pretty normal
  4. Check for a small lump about the size of a pea on the front or the side -- they're usually painless
  5. If you feel anything weird, go to the Student Health Center or call a doctor -NOW!

P.S. If your testicle hurts, it is painful when you urinate, your urine is cloudy, or you've got blisters on your penis, you should also get to the Student Health Center right away -it could be testicular cancer or a sexually transmitted infection.

SKIN CANCER

SKIN CANCER IS THE MOST RAPIDLY INCREASING CANCER IN THE U.S.

- Twice as many men as women die from melanoma skin cancer
- Men are less likely than women to use sunscreen

SKIN CANCER IS PREVENTABLE!

  • Sun avoidance is the best defense BUT
  • Using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 (under any kind of sun exposure) will also help!

Doing periodic self-examinations for oddly shaped or colored moles and other skin discolorations can help with early detection, which is the best way to be sure of a cure.

DEPRESSION

DEPRESSION IS SOMETIMES HARD TO IDENTIFY IN MEN AND IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED-EVEN BY MEN THEMSELVES.

FOR MEN, depression is often hidden by drinking, drug use, anger, or excessive activity. These can also be warning signs.

Some common characteristics are:

  • Loss of interest or pleasure
  • Social isolation
  • Fatigue
  • Mood swings
  • Problems sleeping
  • Weight change
  • Irritability
  • Lack of concentration

If any of these things apply to you, there's help. Contact the Student Health Center, Counseling Services, or a doctor.

(Phone numbers are listed below)

SUICIDE

HERE ARE SOME COMPELLING STATISTICS ABOUT SUICIDE...

  • Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death of 15- to 24-year-olds
  • Everyday, 12 college-age people kill themselves
  • 6 out of 7 suicides of 15- to 24-year-olds are men
  • 1 of 3 suicide victims have alcohol in their blood
  • 3 of 4 people who commit suicide tell someone in advance
  • Guns are used in more suicides than homicides

PLEASE DON'T BECOME A STATISTIC. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP.*

*IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

  • Student Health Center: 707-664-2921
  • SSU Counseling and Psychological Services: 707-664-2153
  • Social Advocates for Youth in Crisis (Sonoma): 1-800-544-3299
This page was developed by students and faculty of a SSU Spring 2000 course entitled "Men's Health, Men's Lives".