Sind Männer unterversorgt?

Male-specific diseases are health problems that either occur exclusively in men or occur more frequently and/or more severely in men. Some examples are erectile dysfunction (erectile dysfunction), benign prostatic hyperplasia (non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that can lead to problems urinating), prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The care situation for men in Germany has been little analysed to date. At first glance, there is a gender gap. The life expectancy of men in Germany is five years lower than that of women and is reflected in a higher mortality rate across all age groups [1]. There is also a gender-specific difference in the uptake of cancer screening: in 2020, the statutory health insurance funds recorded 6.7 million screenings for men, but more than five times as many (35.1 million) for women [1]. While the specialist area of gynaecology, which is relevant for women-specific cancers, is established as a firm pillar in the medical system, men's healthcare does not receive the same attention. Urology focuses mainly on diseases of the urogenital system and is typically only utilised for men over the age of 50 [2]. Internationally, it can also be observed that men often interact less effectively with the healthcare system compared to women [3] and preventive healthcare services are often not adequately tailored to the specific needs of men [4, 5]. This shows the need for a reorientation of care approaches. The aim of the study is to determine the status quo of care in the area of men's health in Germany and to identify obstacles and potential for optimisation in the implementation of preventive and health-promoting services in order to derive specific recommendations for action.