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"Happy wives, happy social lives?" Men are more emotionally disconnected than women – what can be done about it?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836">Roger Patulny</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-baptist-university-2801">Hong Kong Baptist University</a> Many of us are worried about loneliness and isolation, and both <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-loneliness-affects-men-too-15545">decade-old</a> and <a href="https://www.relationshipsnsw.org.au/blog/how-many-australians-are-lonely/">recent data</a> suggest they impact men more than women. Loneliness predicts health outcomes including <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691614568352">early mortality</a>, greater <a href="https://hqlo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12955-022-01946-6">psychological distress</a>, and more <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41572-022-00355-9">cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological problems</a>. New research also links loneliness to <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-18770-w">more intolerant attitudes towards women</a>. These findings raise concerns over the causes and impacts of men’s loneliness and isolation. <h2>A deep dive into loneliness</h2> I recently analysed more than 50 indicators from a decade of data collected by the <a href="https://www.acspri.org.au/aussa">Australian Social Attitudes Survey</a>, from 2011–12, 2015–16, 2017–18, and 2022–23. My statistical models produced results for (self-identified) men and women, after controlling for the impacts of age, employment and partner status. I confirmed that Australian men are more likely to be socially and emotionally disconnected than women. I also found some reasons why this might be the case. I found men appear to focus their emotional energies primarily on their nuclear families and partners. Consequently, they over-rely on their female partners for intimate support and develop more distant, limited and transactional relationships with other people – and other men. <h2>Men are more emotionally disconnected</h2> The data show men continue to lack emotional support on a range of indicators. This puts them at greater risk of health impacts and potentially encourages more toxic attitudes towards women. A significantly greater proportion of men than women reported: <ul> <li>receiving no support from their closest friend</li> <li>receiving fun/practical advice over emotional support from close friends</li> <li>having less contact with a close friend</li> <li>not having anyone for emotional support</li> <li>not feeling “very close” to their closest friend</li> <li>not feeling “love” as their most commonly experienced emotion in the last week.</li> </ul> <h2>Men have more distant, transactional relationships</h2> Why are men in this situation? Masculinity roles are clearly influential. Traditional masculinity encourages men to appear capable, controlled and independent, avoid displays of “vulnerable” emotions or male-to-male affection (like hugging, touch or crying), and embrace the hetero-normative ideal of male provision and leadership. Such norms have been found to constrain male intimacy <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37531906/">by disallowing vulnerability</a>. My data show men tend to develop looser, transactional ties with more distant people. This may reduce the quality of the connection and its potential to reduce loneliness. I have found men are more likely than women to: <ul> <li>think it is OK to befriend someone just because they’ll make a “useful” contact</li> <li>feel obligated to repay favours immediately (foregoing longer-term connections)</li> <li>be kind to others because they “value doing the right thing”, rather than because they empathically connect with or care about the person</li> <li>give and receive kindness from strangers (rather than more familiar people)</li> <li>seek help with household jobs from more distant family or friends</li> <li>seek practical support (money, advice) from private and commercial sources (rather than friends or family)</li> <li>not seek help from family or friends for emotional, sickness or care issues.</li> </ul> This means many men retain an individualist masculine desire to remain emotionally aloof. <hr /> <iframe id="TBJfz" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0px none currentcolor;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/TBJfz/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <hr /> <h2>Appearing in control but becoming dependent?</h2> So where do men turn for intimate, emotional connection? Most often, their families. Prior studies show partnered men are <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-18770-w">less lonely than single men</a>. My data show men revere the nuclear family institution and the core supportive role of women and female partners. Men are more likely than women to: <ul> <li>believe having children increases their social standing</li> <li>believe family is more important than friends</li> <li>rely on family over friends for support</li> <li>have mixed-gender friendships (in contrast to womens’ predominately female friendships)</li> <li>see their (predominantly female) partner as their closest friend</li> <li>emotionally support their (predominantly female) partner ahead of supporting others.</li> </ul> However, the masculine desire to be a “good nuclear family man” <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37531906/">can both support and impede</a> men’s social connection. Partnered men might feel less lonely but that doesn’t mean they give or gain sufficient emotional support from their nuclear families. My data show men are less likely than women to: <ul> <li>plan or organise social and family activities</li> <li>have at least weekly contact with non-nuclear family or friends</li> <li>emotionally support their friends, family or children ahead of their partners</li> <li>have their partner support them ahead of others (women were more likely to support their children first).</li> </ul> This raises several issues. If men cling to the notion that their primary role is to provide for and support their (female) partner – while she in turn emotionally supports everyone else – they risk becoming personally isolated through diminished networks and outmoded expectations. In this context, men who believe they should earn more than their partners <a href="https://theconversation.com/loneliness-in-the-workplace-is-greatest-among-men-with-traditional-views-about-being-the-breadwinner-230535">are lonelier</a> than other men. It also risks pushing the burden of maintaining social and emotional connections onto <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/">women and partners</a>, and men becoming socially and emotionally dependent on them. And it can “bake in” hetero-normative family-to-family interactions (organised by female partners) as the most “legitimate” form of socialising for men. This can be highly exclusionary for LGBTQIA+ people, along with single men and single fathers, who register among <a href="https://www.relationships.org.au/relationship-indicators/">the highest rates of loneliness in Australia</a>. <hr /> <iframe id="qCmHw" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0px none currentcolor;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qCmHw/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <hr /> <h2>How can men become more emotionally connected?</h2> Feelings shouldn’t be seen as just a <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/">“female thing”</a>. Younger men’s more inclusive masculine attitudes can allow them to <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">subvert the “rules” of masculinity</a>, express emotion and embrace <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">“bromances”</a>. Men can also connect emotionally with other men through <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">jokes and humour</a> and participating in shared activities <a href="https://theconversation.com/lost-touch-with-friends-during-lockdown-heres-how-to-reconnect-and-let-go-of-toxic-ones-172853">that allow incidental communication</a>, like Men’s Sheds. The following initiatives may well help men broaden their intimate networks beyond the nuclear family. We could:<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239194/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <ul> <li>help men into caring roles through more <a href="https://theconversation.com/loneliness-in-the-workplace-is-greatest-among-men-with-traditional-views-about-being-the-breadwinner-230535">family friendly employment and care-leave policies</a></li> <li>support initiatives such as <a href="https://meninmind.movember.com/">Movember Men in Mind</a> that encourage men to seek help, and improve their emotional expression and support skills</li> <li>encourage partnered, heterosexual men to broaden and diversify their intimate networks beyond the nuclear family bubble, and be more inclusive of single men, single fathers, and LGBTQIA+ people. <a href="https://thephn.com.au/news/the-mens-table-successful-mental-health-initiative-expanding-across-seven-new-regions">Men’s Table initiatives</a> could be of great value here</li> <li>encourage the development of more online <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">safe spaces</a> to form intimate bonds while avoiding toxic online masculine spaces.</li> </ul> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836">Roger Patulny</a>, Professor, Academy of Geography, Sociology and International Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-baptist-university-2801">Hong Kong Baptist University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/happy-wives-happy-social-lives-men-are-more-emotionally-disconnected-than-women-what-can-be-done-about-it-239194">original article</a>.

Mind

"One of the greatest men": Tarzan star dies at age 86

Tarzan star Ron Ely has died at the age of 86. The news of his passing was confirmed in an emotional statement by his daughter Kirsten, who wrote, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad." “My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person – there was something truly magical about him. This is how the world knew him.” “I knew him as my dad – and what a heaven sent honour that has been. To me, he hung the moon.” “My father’s life story was one of relentless perseverance, unending dedication to his family and friends, courage to do what was right, and willing sacrifice to facilitate the dreams of those he loved,” Kirsten continued. “It was also a story of joy and love – something everyone close to him had the privilege of experiencing. Once you knew my father’s love, the world grew to be a brighter and more meaningful place.” “I am doing my best to walk this path of loss with the strength and grace that I know he would want for me,” she added. “My greatest comfort is knowing that my dad is with my momma and my brother. It is also my greatest sadness because I miss them all so much that it’s etched into my soul. I will proudly carry all of my favourite pieces of them – lovingly cemented into my heart – until we all meet again.” Ely first one to fame in the 1960s with his role as Tarzan in the NBC TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1968. He later returned for Universal’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze in 1975, and took on guest roles on some of TV’s biggest shows, including Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Superboy. Ely is survived by his daughters, Kirstin and Kaitland. In 2019, his son, Cameron, was shot and killed by Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies after allegedly stabbing his mother, Ely’s wife, to death. Image credits: Matthew Rettenmund / Banner/Kobal / Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Men have a biological clock too. Here’s what’s more likely when dads are over 50

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-hammarberg-113096">Karin Hammarberg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> We hear a lot about women’s biological clock and how age affects the chance of pregnancy. <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821811#google_vignette">New research shows</a> men’s fertility is also affected by age. When dads are over 50, the risk of pregnancy complications increases. Data from more than 46 million births in the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821811#google_vignette">United States</a> between 2011 and 2022 compared fathers in their 30s with fathers in their 50s. While taking into account the age of the mother and other factors known to affect pregnancy outcomes, the researchers found every ten-year increase in paternal age was linked to more complications. The researchers found that compared to couples where the father was aged 30–39, for couples where the dad was in his 50s, there was a: <ul> <li>16% increased risk of preterm birth</li> <li>14% increased risk of low birth weight</li> <li>13% increase in gestational diabetes.</li> </ul> The older fathers were also twice as likely to have used assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, to conceive than their younger counterparts. <h2>Dads are getting older</h2> In this <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821811#google_vignette">US study</a>, the mean age of all fathers increased from 30.8 years in 2011 to 32.1 years in 2022. In that same period, the proportion of men aged 50 years or older fathering a child increased from 1.1% to 1.3%. We don’t know the proportion of men over 50 years who father children in Australia, but data shows the average age of fathers has increased. In 1975 the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/births-australia/latest-release">median age of Australian dads</a> was 28.6 years. This jumped to 33.7 years in 2022. <h2>How male age affects getting pregnant</h2> As we know from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-dads-first-time-over-age-50#when-he-was-54-simon-cowell-and-girlfriend-lauren-silverman-became-parents-to-their-son-eric-7">media reports</a> of celebrity dads, men produce sperm from puberty throughout life and can father children well into old age. However, there is a noticeable decline in <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(18)30269-3/fulltext">sperm quality</a> from about age 40. Female partners of older men take longer to achieve pregnancy than those with younger partners. A study of the effect of male age on <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(03)00366-2/fulltext">time to pregnancy</a> showed women with male partners aged 45 or older were almost five times more likely to take more than a year to conceive compared to those with partners aged 25 or under. More than three quarters (76.8%) of men under the age of 25 years impregnated their female partners within six months, compared with just over half (52.9%) of men over the age of 45. Pooled data from ten studies showed that partners of older men are also more likely to experience miscarriage. Compared to couples where the male was aged 25 to 29 years, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32358607/">paternal age over 45 years</a> increased the risk of miscarriage by 43%. <h2>Older men are more likely to need IVF</h2> Outcomes of assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, are also influenced by the age of the male partner. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.03.031">review of studies</a> in couples using assisted reproductive technologies found paternal age under 40 years reduced the risk of miscarriage by about 25% compared to couples with men aged over 40. Having a male under 40 years also almost doubled the chance of a live birth per treatment cycle. With a man over 40, 17.6% of treatment rounds resulted in a live birth, compared to 28.4% when the male was under 40. <h2>How does male age affect the health outcomes of children?</h2> As a result of age-related changes in sperm DNA, the children of older fathers have increased risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9957550/">a number of conditions</a>. Autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and leukaemia have been linked to the father’s advanced years. A <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(22)01979-3/fulltext">review of studies</a> assessing the impact of advanced paternal age reported that children of older fathers have increased rates of psychiatric disease and behavioural impairments. But while the increased risk of adverse health outcomes linked to older paternal age is real, the magnitude of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29471389/">the effect is modest</a>. It’s important to remember that an increase in a very small risk is still a small risk and most children of older fathers are born healthy and develop well. <h2>Improving your health can improve your fertility</h2> In addition to the effects of older age, some chronic conditions that affect fertility and reproductive outcomes become more common as men get older. They include <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(23)01935-0/fulltext">obesity and diabetes</a> which affect sperm quality by lowering testosterone levels. While we can’t change our age, some lifestyle factors that increase the risk of pregnancy complications and reduce fertility, can be tackled. They include: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4639396/">smoking</a></li> <li>recreational <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/tre.414">drug taking</a></li> <li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/tre.414">anabolic steroid</a> use</li> <li>heavy <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504800/">alcohol consumption</a>.</li> </ul> <h2>Get the facts about the male biological clock</h2> Research shows <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/4/458/3065332?login=false">men want children</a> as much as women do. And most men want at least two children. Yet most men <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/4/458/3065332?login=false">lack knowledge</a> about the limitations of female and male fertility and overestimate the chance of getting pregnant, with and without assisted reproductive technologies. We need better public education, starting at school, to improve awareness of the impact of male and female age on reproductive outcomes and help people have healthy babies. For men wanting to improve their chance of conceiving, the government-funded sites <a href="https://healthymale.org.au/">Healthy Male</a> and <a href="https://www.yourfertility.org.au/">Your Fertility</a> are a good place to start. These offer evidence-based and accessible information about reproductive health, and <a href="https://www.yourfertility.org.au/fertility-week-2022">tips</a> to improve your reproductive health and give your children the best start in life.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236892/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-hammarberg-113096">Karin Hammarberg</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women's Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/men-have-a-biological-clock-too-heres-whats-more-likely-when-dads-are-over-50-236892">original article</a>.

Body

What’s the difference between ‘man flu’ and flu? Hint: men may not be exaggerating

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thea-van-de-mortel-1134101">Thea van de Mortel</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> The term “man flu” takes a <a href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/man-flu">humorous poke</a> at men with minor respiratory infections, such as colds, who supposedly exaggerate their symptoms. According to the stereotype, a man lies on the sofa with a box of tissues. Meanwhile his female partner, also with a snotty nose, carries on working from home, doing the chores and looking after him. But is man flu real? Is there a valid biological reason behind men’s symptoms or are men just malingering? And how does man flu differ from flu? <h2>What are the similarities?</h2> Man flu could refer to a number of respiratory infections – a cold, flu, even a mild case of COVID. So it’s difficult to compare man flu with flu. But for simplicity, let’s say man flu is actually a cold. If that’s the case, man flu and flu have some similar features. Both are caused by viruses (but different ones). Both are improved with rest, fluids, and if needed painkillers, throat lozenges or decongestants to <a href="https://activities.nps.org.au/nps-order-form/Resources/NPS-Cold-and-Flu-Brochure-May-2014.pdf">manage symptoms</a>. Both <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm">can share</a> similar symptoms. Typically, more severe symptoms such as fever, body aches, violent shivering and headaches are more common in flu (but sometimes occur in colds). Meanwhile sore throats, runny noses, congestion and sneezing are more common in colds. A cough is common in both. <h2>What are the differences?</h2> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm">Flu</a> is a more serious and sometimes fatal respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. Colds are caused by various viruses such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3553670/">rhinoviruses</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/adenovirus/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/adenovirus/symptoms.html">adenoviruses</a>, and common cold <a href="https://journals.lww.com/pidj/citation/2022/03000/proving_etiologic_relationships_to_disease_.18.aspx">coronaviruses</a>, and are rarely serious. Colds tend to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm">start gradually</a> while flu tends to start abruptly. Flu can be <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/diagnosis/overview-testing-methods.htm">detected</a> with laboratory or at-home tests. Man flu is not an official diagnosis. Severe flu symptoms may be prevented with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm">a vaccine</a>, while cold symptoms cannot. Serious flu infections may also be <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/racf-antiviral-treatments-and-prophylaxis.aspx">prevented or treated</a> with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu. There are no antivirals for colds. <h2>OK, but is man flu real?</h2> Again, let’s assume man flu is a cold. Do men really have worse colds than women? The picture is complicated. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399922003324?via%3Dihub">One study</a>, with the title “Man flu is not a thing”, did in fact show there were differences in men’s and women’s symptoms. This study looked at symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis. That’s inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses, which would explain a runny or stuffy nose, a sinus headache or face pain. When researchers assessed participants at the start of the study, men and women had similar symptoms. But by days five and eight of the study, women had fewer or less-severe symptoms. In other words, women had recovered faster. But when participants rated their own symptoms, we saw a somewhat different picture. Women rated their symptoms worse than how the researchers rated them at the start, but said they recovered more quickly. All this suggests men were not exaggerating their symptoms and did indeed recover more slowly. It also suggests women feel their symptoms more strongly at the start. <h2>Why is this happening?</h2> It’s not straightforward to tease out what’s going on biologically. There are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">differences</a> in immune responses between men and women that provide a plausible reason for worse symptoms in men. For instance, women generally produce antibodies more efficiently, so they <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">respond more effectively</a> to vaccination. Other aspects of women’s immune system also appear to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2735332/">work more strongly</a>. So why do women tend to have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">stronger immune responses</a> overall? That’s probably partly because women have two X chromosomes while men have one. X chromosomes carry important <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90#Tab3">immune function genes</a>. This gives women the benefit of immune-related genes from two different chromosomes. Oestrogen (the female sex hormone) also seems to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">strengthen</a> the immune response, and as levels vary throughout the lifespan, so does <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.aan2946">the strength</a> of women’s immune systems. Men are certainly more likely to die from some infectious diseases, such as <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-deaths/deaths-in-australia/contents/covid-10-deaths">COVID</a>. But the picture is less clear with other infections such as the flu, where the incidence and mortality between men and women <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44401/9789241500111_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">varies widely</a> between countries and particular flu subtypes and outbreaks. Infection rates and outcomes in men and women can also depend on the way a virus is <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.712688/full">transmitted</a>, the person’s age, and social and behavioural factors. For instance, women seem to be more likely to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077589/#R20">practice protective behaviours</a> such as washing their hands, wearing masks or avoiding crowded indoor spaces. Women are also <a href="https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-016-0440-0">more likely</a> to seek medical care when ill. <h2>So men aren’t faking it?</h2> Some evidence suggests men are not over-reporting symptoms, and may take longer to clear an infection. So they may experience man flu more harshly than women with a cold. So cut the men in your life some slack. If they are sick, gender stereotyping is unhelpful, and may discourage men from seeking medical advice.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/231161/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thea-van-de-mortel-1134101">Thea van de Mortel</a>, Professor, Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-man-flu-and-flu-hint-men-may-not-be-exaggerating-231161">original article</a>.

Body

Almost half the men surveyed think they could land a passenger plane. Experts disagree

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guido-carim-junior-1379129">Guido Carim Junior</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-campbell-1414564">Chris Campbell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elvira-marques-1362476">Elvira Marques</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nnenna-ike-1490692">Nnenna Ike</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-ryley-1253269">Tim Ryley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Picture this: you’re nestled comfortably in your seat cruising towards your holiday destination when a flight attendant’s voice breaks through the silence: <blockquote> Ladies and gentlemen, both pilots are incapacitated. Are there any passengers who could land this plane with assistance from air traffic control? </blockquote> If you think you could manage it, you’re not alone. <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2023/01/02/fd798/3">Survey results</a> published in January indicate about one-third of adult Americans think they could safely land a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s guidance. Among male respondents, the confidence level rose to nearly 50%. Can a person with no prior training simply guide everyone to a smooth touchdown? We’ve all heard stories of passengers who saved the day when the pilot became unresponsive. For instance, last year <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbMoyWukjbs">Darren Harrison</a> managed to land a twin-engine aircraft in Florida – after the pilot passed out – with the guidance of an air traffic controller who also happened to be a flight instructor. However, such incidents tend to take place in small, simple aircraft. Flying a much bigger and heavier commercial jet is a completely different game. <h2>You can’t always rely on autopilot</h2> A pilot spends about 90% of their time monitoring autopilot systems and making sure everything is working as intended. The other 10% is spent managing problems, taxiing, taking off and landing. Takeoffs and landings are arguably the most difficult tasks pilots perform, and are always performed manually. Only on very few occasions, and in a handful of aircraft models, can a pilot use autopilot to land the aircraft for them. This is the exception, and not the rule. For takeoff, the aircraft must build up speed until the wings can generate enough lift to pull it into the air. The pilot must <a href="https://youtu.be/16XTAK-4Xbk?si=66yDo5g5I086Q2y2&t=65">pay close attention</a> to multiple instruments and external cues, while keeping the aircraft centred on the runway until it reaches lift-off speed. Once airborne, they must coordinate with air traffic control, follow a particular path, retract the landing gear and maintain a precise speed and direction while trying to climb. Landing is even more complicated, and requires having precise control of the aircraft’s direction and descent rate. <a href="https://youtu.be/u_it9OiTnSM?si=xNZrLB9ZH870LEa3&t=360">To land successfully</a>, a pilot must keep an appropriate speed while simultaneously managing gear and flap configuration, adhering to air traffic regulations, communicating with air traffic control and completing a number of paper and digital checklists. Once the aircraft comes close to the runway, they must accurately judge its height, reduce power and adjust the rate of descent – ensuring they land on the correct area of the runway. On the ground, they will use the brakes and reverse thrust to bring the aircraft to a complete stop before the runway ends. This all happens within just a few minutes. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nyx4NyMrvOs?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Both takeoff and landing are far too quick, technical and concentration-intensive for an untrained person to pull off. They also require a range of skills that are only gained through extensive training, such as understanding the information presented on different gauges, and being able to coordinate one’s hands and feet in a certain way. <h2>Training a pilot</h2> The journey from student to commercial pilot is a long one. It normally starts with a recreational licence, followed by a private licence, and then a commercial licence (which allows them to fly professionally). Even before stepping into a cockpit, the student must study aerodynamics, air law and flight rules, meteorology, human factors, navigation, aircraft systems, and performance and flight planning. They also need to spend time learning about the specific aircraft they will be flying. Once the fundamentals are grasped, an instructor takes them for training. Most of this training is conducted in small, lightweight aircraft – with a simulator introduced briefly towards the end. During a lesson, each manoeuvre or action is demonstrated by the instructor before the student attempts it. Their attempt may be adjusted, corrected or even terminated early in critical situations. The first ten to fifteen lessons focus on takeoff, landing, basic in-flight control and emergency management. When the students are ready, they’re allowed to “go solo” – wherein they conduct a complete flight on their own. This is a great milestone. After years of experience, they are ready to transition to a commercial aircraft. At this point they might be able to take off and land reasonably well, but they will still undergo extensive training specific to the aircraft they are flying, including hours of advanced theory, dozens of simulator sessions and hundreds of hours of real aircraft training (most of which is done with passengers onboard). So, if you’ve never even learned the basics of flying, your chances of successfully landing a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s help are close to zero. <h2>Yet, flying is a skill like any other</h2> Aviation training has been democratised by the advent of high-end computers, virtual reality and flight simulation games such as Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.flightsimulator.com/">Flight Simulator</a> and <a href="https://www.x-plane.com/">X-Plane</a>. Anyone can now rig up a desktop flight simulator for a few thousand dollars. Ideally, such a setup should also include the basic physical controls found in a cockpit, such as a control yoke, throttle quadrant and pedals. Flight simulators provide an immersive environment in which professional pilots, students and aviation enthusiasts can develop their skills. So if you really think you could match-up against a professional, consider trying your hand at one. You almost certainly won’t be able to land an actual passenger plane by the end of it – but at least you’ll gain an appreciation for the immense skill pilots possess.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218037/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guido-carim-junior-1379129">Guido Carim Junior</a>, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-campbell-1414564">Chris Campbell</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elvira-marques-1362476">Elvira Marques</a>, Aviation PhD candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nnenna-ike-1490692">Nnenna Ike</a>, Research Assistant, Griffith Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-ryley-1253269">Tim Ryley</a>, Professor and Head of Griffith Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-half-the-men-surveyed-think-they-could-land-a-passenger-plane-experts-disagree-218037">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Two men charged over felling of iconic Sycamore Gap tree

Two men have been charged with cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in northern England. Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, were charged with causing criminal damage to the tree and damaging Hadrian’s Wall, which was built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to guard the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) added that they will appear in the Newcastle Magistrates Court on May 15. “There has been an ongoing investigation since the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down," said Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney, the Senior Investigation Officer on the case. “As a result of those inquiries, two men have now been charged. “We recognise the strength of feeling in the local community and further afield the felling has caused, however we would remind people to avoid speculation, including online, which could impact the ongoing case.” According to The Sun, the two men were arrested back in October and released on bail. The iconic tree became internationally famous when it was used for a scene in Kevin Costner's 1991 blockbuster film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The felling caused widespread <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/you-can-t-forgive-that-teen-arrested-after-felling-of-iconic-200-year-old-tree" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outrage</a> at the time, as police tried to find the culprit behind the "deliberate" act of vandalism. Efforts are currently underway to see if the tree can be regrown from the sycamore's stump, with The National Trust hoping that a third of the seeds and cuttings it collected from the tree could be planted later on. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

X-Men star dies aged 42

Adan Canto has died aged 42. The Hollywood star died on Monday following a private battle with appendiceal cancer, reported <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/obituaries-people-news/adan-canto-dead-cleaning-lady-x-men-1235866602/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a>. Canto was best known for his role as Arman Morales in Fox's series The Cleaning Lady, and Sunspot in X-Men: Days of Future Past. He also starred in a few other TV series including The Following and Designated Survivor. The actor was enjoying his success as Arman Morales, when he was diagnosed with cancer, and was forced to step back from the role as his health declined. Canto's agents have confirmed his passing. “Adan had a depth of spirit that few truly knew. Those who glimpsed it were changed forever,” they said. "He will be greatly missed by so many.” Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment have also paid tribute to the actor in a joint statement. “We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Adan Canto. A wonderful actor and dear friend, we were honoured to have him as part of the Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment families since his US debut in The Following more than a decade ago,” the statement read. “Most recently, he lit up the screen in The Cleaning Lady with a powerful performance that showcased his artistry, range, depth and vulnerability. This is an unfathomable loss, and we grieve alongside his wife Stephanie, their children and loved ones. We will miss Adan dearly.” Canto is survived by his wife, sculptor Stephanie Lindquist and their two young children Roman Alder, 3, and Eve Josephine, 1. Images: Getty

Caring

X-Men actor welcomes third child

X-Men actor Liev Schreiber has welcomed his third child, first with girlfriend Taylor Neison - a beautiful baby girl! The actor, known for keeping his life private, took to Instagram to share the happy news, with an adorable photo of his little girl's hand, and her foot. He also revealed her name to his almost 550 thousand followers. "So happy that Hazel Bee is finally here," he captioned the photo. "She arrived early in the morning of August 27th and has been a dream every day since. "Mum and baby are both super happy and healthy. Thanks to all for the love and support." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxJ0iVSsEzS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxJ0iVSsEzS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Liev Schreiber (@lievschreiber)</a> </div> </blockquote> Schreiber's famous friends took to the comments to congratulate the new parents. "We love baby Hazel!! 🙌" British actress, and Schreiber's ex Naomi Watts commented. Comedian Jim Gaffigan wrote: "Congratulations!" The Real Housewives of New York star Kelly Bensimon and The Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham also took to the comments to congratulate the couple. The announcement comes just days after Schreiber and Neison were <a href="https://pagesix.com/2023/09/13/liev-schreiber-welcomes-third-baby-his-first-with-taylor-neisen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted </a>pushing a stroller and carrying the newborn in a baby sling while out and about in New York. The couple never formally announced their pregnancy but the news came in April when Nielson was spotted walking around with a baby bump. They reportedly tied the knot in a secret wedding over the 4th of July holiday weekend this year, with only four people in attendance. Hazel is the couple's first child together, but Schreiber is already father to 16-year-old Sasha and 14-year-old Kai, who he shares with Naomi Watts. Watts confirmed that they are on "great terms" as co-parents to their teen kids. Images: Instagram/Getty

Family & Pets

How biological differences between men and women alter immune responses – and affect women’s health

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-mcgettrick-1451122">Helen McGettrick</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asif-iqbal-1451123">Asif Iqbal</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> Most people will have heard the term “man flu”, which refers to men’s perceived tendency to exaggerate the severity of a cold or a similar minor ailment. What most people may not know is that, generally speaking, women mount stronger <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36121220/">immune responses</a> to infections than men. Men are <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005374">more susceptible</a> to infections from, for example, HIV, hepatitis B, and Plasmodium falciparum (the parasite responsible for malaria). They can also have more severe symptoms, with evidence showing they’re more likely to be <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005374">admitted to hospital</a> when infected with hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and Campylobacter jejuni (a bacteria that causes gastroenteritis), among others. While this may be positive for women in some respects, it also means women are at <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri2815">greater risk</a> of developing chronic diseases driven by the immune system, known as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Here we will explore how biological factors influence immune differences between the sexes and how this affects women’s health. While we acknowledge that both sex and gender may affect immune responses, this article will focus on biological sex rather than gender. <h2>Battle of the sexes</h2> There are differences <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">between the sexes</a> at every stage of the immune response, from the number of immune cells, to their degree of activation (how ready they are to respond to a challenge), and beyond. However, the story is more complicated than that. Our immune system evolves throughout our lives, learning from past experiences, but also responding to the physiological challenges of getting older. As a result, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">sex differences</a> in the immune system can be seen from birth through puberty into adulthood and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jleukbio/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jleuko/qiad053/7190870">old age</a>. Why do these differences occur? The first part of answering this question involves the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20651746/">X chromosome</a> contains the largest number of immune-related genes. The X chromosome also has <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00018-020-03526-7">around 118 genes</a> from a gene family that are able to stop the expression of other genes, or change how proteins are made, including those required for immunity. These gene-protein regulators are known as microRNA, and there are only <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24808907/">two microRNA genes</a> on the Y chromosome. The X chromosome has <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/X-Chromosome-facts">more genes overall</a> (around 900) than the Y chromosome (around 55), so female cells have evolved to switch off one of their X chromosomes. This is not like turning off a light switch, but more like using a dimmer. Around <a href="https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-019-5507-6">15-25% of genes</a> on the silenced X chromosome are expressed at any given moment in any given cell. This means female cells can often express more immune-related genes and gene-protein regulators than males. This generally means a faster clearance of pathogens in females than males. Second, men and women have <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.604000/full">varying levels</a> of different sex hormones. Progesterone and testosterone are broadly considered to limit immune responses. While both hormones are produced by males and females, progesterone is found at higher concentrations in non-menopausal women than men, and testosterone is much higher in men than women. The role of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6533072/">oestrogen</a>, one of the main female sex hormones, is more complicated. Although generally oestrogen <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000887491500026X?via%3Dihub">enhances immune responses</a>, its levels vary during the menstrual cycle, are high in pregnancy and low after menopause. Due in part to these genetic and hormonal factors, pregnancy and the years following are associated with heightened immune responses to external challenges such as infection. This has been regarded as an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">evolutionary feature</a>, protecting women and their unborn children during pregnancy and enhancing the mother’s survival throughout the child-rearing years, ultimately ensuring the survival of the population. We also see this pattern in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628977/">other species</a> including insects, lizards, birds and mammals. <h2>What does this all mean?</h2> With women’s heightened immune responses to infections comes an increased risk of certain diseases and prolonged immune responses after infections. An <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3328995/">estimated 75-80%</a> of all immune-mediated inflammatory diseases <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32542149/">occur in females</a>. Diseases more common in women include multiple sclerosis, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri2815">rheumatoid arthritis</a>, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">thyroid disorders</a> such as Graves disease. In these diseases, the immune system is continuously fighting against what it sees as a foreign agent. However, often this perceived threat is not a foreign agent, but cells or tissues from the host. This leads to tissue damage, pain and immobility. Women are also prone to chronic inflammation following infection. For example, after infections with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5818468/">Epstein Barr virus</a> or <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jwh.2008.1193">Lyme disease</a>, they may go on to develop <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/">chronic fatigue syndrome</a>, another condition that affects more women than men. This is one possible explanation for the heightened risk among <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fresc.2023.1122673/full">pre-menopausal women</a> of developing long COVID following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Research has also revealed the presence of auto-antibodies (antibodies that attack the host) in patients with long COVID, suggesting it might be an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997221000550">autoimmune disease</a>. As women are more susceptible to autoimmune conditions, this could potentially explain the sex bias seen. However, the exact causes of long COVID, and the reason women may be at greater risk, are yet to be defined. This paints a bleak picture, but it’s not all bad news. Women typically mount <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24966191/">better vaccine responses</a> to several common infections (for example, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A and B), producing higher antibody levels than men. One study showed that women vaccinated with half a dose of flu vaccine produced the same amount of antibodies compared to men vaccinated with <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/773453">a full dose</a>. However, these responses <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">decline as women age</a>, and particularly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3954964/">after menopause</a>. All of this shows it’s vital to consider sex when designing studies examining the immune system and treating patients with immune-related diseases.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208802/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-mcgettrick-1451122">Helen McGettrick</a>, Reader in Inflammation and Vascular Biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asif-iqbal-1451123">Asif Iqbal</a>, Associate Professor in Inflammation Biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-biological-differences-between-men-and-women-alter-immune-responses-and-affect-womens-health-208802">original article</a>.

Body

Ken’s rights? Our research shows Barbie is surprisingly accurate on how ‘men’s rights activists’ are radicalised

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucy-nicholas-145660">Lucy Nicholas</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> In the Barbie movie, we open with a picture of a perfect Barbieland where (almost) everyone is happy, diversity and sisterhood are embraced, and Barbies hold all positions of power. The Kens however, reflecting the popularity of the dolls in the real world, play a mainly decorative role. Spoilers for Barbie follow. In the film, we see a disgruntled Ken (played hilariously by Ryan Gosling) follow “Stereotypical” Barbie (Margot Robbie) to the real world where she has to find her human owner. This is all to fix an error that is allowing the real world to seep into Barbie land, with symptoms such as Barbie having an existential crisis. In the real world, Ken discovers the concept of the patriarchy. This sees him take a journey that is clearly influenced by, and pokes fun at, many aspects of contemporary anti-feminist men’s rights culture. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBk4NYhWNMM?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Barbieland and the matriarchy</h2> It has been proposed that <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-greta-gerwigs-barbie-land-the-matriarchy-can-be-just-as-bad-as-the-patriarchy-209317">Barbieland is a matriarchy</a>, but I would argue that their attitude to Kens is instead indifference. Ken was aggrieved that Barbie didn’t notice him and reciprocate his affections. This is not dissimilar to the grievances of some real-life men under contemporary feminism. Why don’t women’s lives revolve around them? And what can they do to address this perceived injustice? The movie cleverly parallels the emotions, narratives and logics that lead men to extreme antifeminist and misogynistic thinking, and in doing so exposes the flimsiness of their foundations. Having undertaken <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-12/apo-nid307612.pdf">research</a> on online antifeminist discourses, Ken’s journey from aggrievement to masculine “enlightenment” parallels themes we found in Men’s Rights Activist spaces. Radicalisation into this world is often motivated by a feeling among boys and men of being left behind by a feminist world or system that doesn’t value them. This then leads them to long for an imagined natural order of patriarchy where women are back in their place and men regain their entitlements. These logics underpin <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-the-incel-community-has-a-sexism-problem-but-we-can-do-something-about-it-207206">incel</a> culture, a movement that is increasingly understood as a terror threat, and has been associated with various acts of terror, such as the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/closest-to-an-incel-attack-nz-has-had-experts-concern-after-attempted-murder-of-auckland-schoolgirls/HYPEVZ6F4BFT3CV2O4SXS5FR7U/">Epsom crash case</a>. <h2>The manosphere and MRAS</h2> The “<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-68360-7_2">manosphere</a>” can be understood as a loose coalition of antifeminist online subcultures. This includes MRAs (<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1097184X15574338">Men’s Rights Activists</a>) who claim reverse discrimination and that feminism has gone too far, and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1097184X18816118">Redpillers</a> who claim to have swallowed the “red pill” to see the truth about feminism’s dominance. PUAs (<a href="https://repository.upenn.edu/entities/publication/d8971ded-1ec3-4939-8c0a-ab248dad62ba">Pick up Artists</a>) teach men how to manipulate the women they feel they are entitled to, to give them sex; and MGTOWs (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1751867">Men Going Their Own Way</a>), who are antifeminist separatists (from women). Some of the most well known members of the manosphere are incels (involuntary celibates) a misogynistic community of self identified “beta-males” who want an end to women’s rights which prevent them from getting sex. <h2>Ken’s grievances</h2> Like many MRAs, Ken struggles with a sense of entitlement romantically (rather than sexually in genital-free Barbieland), and in attitudes to power and respect. Ken was being “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend%20zone">friend-zoned</a>” by Barbie, who despite being “boyfriend and girlfriend” wouldn’t let him stay over at the Dream House, because “every night is girl’s night”. This is coupled with a feeling of not being special, as Ken is essentially interchangeable with any other Ken. He is also “alpha’d” by other Kens: in the language of the manosphere, Barbie is a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-27/incels-inside-their-terrifying-online-world/9700932">“Stacy” and the other Ken is an alpha “Chad”</a> preventing him from getting what he wants. In <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-12/apo-nid307612.pdf">our data</a> we found women are often described as “overlords”, man-haters, misandrists and “feminazis”. Among other concerns, men perceive economic loss due to women’s participation in the workplace, and crucially a lack of men’s sexual access to women brought about by the gains of feminism such as the awareness raised around consent by the #metoo movement. These men all share a starting point of grievance at women and their perceived indifference towards them. When Ken goes to the real world, he discovers patriarchy and he LOVES it. He has been “redpilled”. Patriarchy explains his aggrievement, and affirms his feelings. He takes patriarchy back to Barbieland and transforms it to Kendom, where the men change it to a society oriented around men and their power (and horses…). <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y1IgAEejvqM?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Redpilled ken</h2> This redpilled Ken is a hilarious parody of the “neomasculinity” of the pick up artist (PUA) movement, that seeks to restore a masculine-centred world. Neomasculinity is about a belief in biological difference, traditional masculinity and heteronormative gender roles. The amusing depiction of the Kens trying to perform traditional <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/hypermasculinity">hypermasculinity</a> and needing their egos stroked – such as in a hilarious scene where the Kens are serenading the Barbies on the beach with an acoustic rendition of Matchbox Twenty’s <a href="https://youtu.be/HAkHqYlqops">Push</a> (“I wanna push you around … I wanna take you for granted”) – brilliantly shows the extent to which toxic masculinity is learned. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HAkHqYlqops?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Additionally, the competition among the Kens (that the Barbies ultimately stoke to overturn the Kentriarchy) is the perfect illustration of the damage toxic models of masculinity does to men. As Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell has long argued, almost no men can live up to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27640853">masculine ideals</a>, resulting in negative outcomes not just for women but also for men themselves. <h2>Finding the real Ken</h2> The movie ends with Barbie, her human (America Ferrera), “Weird Barbie” (Kate McKinnon) and Allan (Michael Cera) deprogramming the brainwashed Barbies and turning the Kens against each other. But what of Just Beach Ken? And what can we learn from this for preventing or managing radicalisation of this feeling of aggrievement in real men or boys? Well, Barbie and Ken reach a middle ground. Barbie encourages Ken to work out who he is outside of his relation to Barbie, and to learn being Just Ken is enough. This isn’t dissimilar to the methods of men’s behaviour change programs and counselling for men who use violence, which use <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926771.2023.2189043">trauma-informed motivational interviewing</a>, reflect on challenging gender norms and breaking down rigid thought processes, and developing emotional literacy and communication strategies. But it also illustrates that men and boys need alternative narratives to make sense of themselves in the world, and alternative communities for affirmation, before it gets to this stage. In <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-12/apo-nid307612.pdf">our report</a>, we recommended: "Providing alternative narratives and considering how far-right [or MRA] groups provide men with emotional support networks, with a view to providing better alternatives." Feminism has consistently been about separating attributes from their gendered associations, breaking down the Barbie/Ken binary. So if there is one thing we can take away from the Barbie movie, it is that hierarchy and rigid gender benefits nobody, and power and social roles have nothing to do with the genitals you are born with.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210273/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucy-nicholas-145660">Lucy Nicholas</a>, Associate professor Sexualities and Genders / Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Image credits: Warner Bros. This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kens-rights-our-research-shows-barbie-is-surprisingly-accurate-on-how-mens-rights-activists-are-radicalised-210273">original article</a>.

Caring

Women get far more migraines than men – a neurologist explains why, and what brings relief

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danielle-wilhour-1337610">Danielle Wilhour</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-anschutz-medical-campus-4838">University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</a> A migraine is far <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/what-is-migraine/">more than just a headache</a> – it’s a debilitating disorder of the nervous system. People who have migraines experience severe throbbing or pulsating pain, typically on one side of the head. The pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and <a href="https://theconversation.com/migraine-sufferers-have-treatment-choices-a-neurologist-explains-options-beyond-just-pain-medication-181348">extreme sensitivity to light or sound</a>. An attack may last for hours or days, and to ease the suffering, some people spend time isolated in dark, quiet rooms. About 800 million people worldwide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.21857">get migraine headaches</a>; in the U.S. alone, <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/what-is-migraine/">about 39 million</a>, or approximately 12% of the population, have them regularly. And most of these people are women. More than <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/04/16/150525391/why-women-suffer-more-migraines-than-men">three times as many women</a> as compared to men get migraines. For women ages 18 to 49, migraine is the leading <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-020-01208-0">cause of disability throughout the world</a>. What’s more, research shows that women’s migraines are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04643-8">more frequent, more disabling and longer-lasting</a> than men’s. Women are more likely than men to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2156-7">seek medical care and prescription drugs</a> for migraines. And women who have migraines <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-021-01281-z">tend to have more mental health issues</a>, including anxiety and depression. <a href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/29586">As a board-certified neurologist</a> who specializes in headache medicine, I find the gender differences in migraines to be fascinating. And some of the reasons why these differences exist may surprise you. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lorXYK2OtAA?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A variety of medications and therapies offer relief for migraines.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Migraines and hormones</h2> There are several factors behind why men and women experience migraine attacks differently. These include hormones, genetics, how certain genes are activated or deactivated – an <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/epigenetics">area of study called epigenetics</a> – and the environment. All of these factors play a role in shaping the structure, function and adaptability of the brain when it comes to migraines. The hormones <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/estrogen-vs-progesterone#functions">estrogen and progesterone</a>, through different mechanisms, play a role in regulating many biological functions. They affect various chemicals in the brain and may contribute to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aws175">functional and structural differences</a> in specific brain regions that are involved in the development of migraines. Additionally, sex hormones can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04643-8">quickly change the size of blood vessels</a>, which can predispose people to migraine attacks. During childhood, both boys and girls have an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102409355601">equal chance of experiencing migraines</a>. It’s estimated that about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557813/">10% of all children will have them</a> at some point. But when girls reach puberty, their likelihood of getting migraines increases. That’s due to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2018.00073">fluctuating levels of sex hormones</a>, primarily <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/estrogens-effects-on-the-female-body">estrogen</a>, associated with puberty – although other hormones, including <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24562-progesterone">progesterone</a>, may be involved too. Some girls have their first migraine around the time <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.23903">of their first menstrual cycle</a>. But migraines are often most common and intense <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj.39559.675891.AD">during a woman’s reproductive and child-bearing years</a>. Researchers estimate about 50% to 60% of women with migraines <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/menstrual-migraine-treatment-and-prevention/">experience menstrual migraines</a>. These migraines typically occur in the days leading up to menstruation or during menstruation itself, when the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-012-0424-y">drop in estrogen levels can trigger migraines</a>. Menstrual migraines can be more severe and last longer than migraines at other times of the month. A class of medicines that came out in the 1990’s – <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/triptan-migraine#side-effects">triptans</a> – are commonly used to treat migraines; certain triptans can be used specifically for menstrual migraines. Another category of medications, called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/11086-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-medicines-nsaids">nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs</a>, have also been effective at lessening the discomfort and length of menstrual migraines. So can a variety of birth control methods, which help by keeping hormone levels steady. <h2>Migraine with aura</h2> But women who have <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-with-aura/symptoms-causes/syc-20352072">migraine with aura</a>, which is a distinct type of migraine, should generally avoid using estrogen containing hormonal contraceptives. The combination can increase the risk of stroke because estrogen can promote <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2020.05.008">the risk of blood clot formation</a>. Birth control options for women with auras include progesterone-only birth control pills, the Depo-Provera shot, and intrauterine devices. Auras affect about 20% of the people who have migraines. Typically, prior to the migraine, the person most commonly begins to see dark spots and zigzag lines. Less often, about 10% of the time, an inability to speak clearly, or tingling or weakness on one side of the body, also occurs. These symptoms slowly build up, generally last less than an hour before disappearing, and are commonly followed by head pain. Although these symptoms resemble what happens during a stroke, an aura tends to occur slowly, over minutes – while strokes usually happen instantaneously. That said, it may be difficult and dangerous for a nonmedical person to try to discern the difference between the two conditions, particularly in the midst of an attack, and determine whether it’s migraine with aura or a stroke. If there is any uncertainty as to what’s wrong, a call to 911 is most prudent. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tn91p-PY2h8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>If you’re a woman and your migraines happen at the same time every month, it might be menstrual migraines.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Migraines during pregnancy, menopause</h2> For women who are pregnant, migraines can be particularly <a href="https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=headaches-in-early-pregnancy-134-3">debilitating during the first trimester</a>, a time when morning sickness is common, making it difficult to eat, sleep or hydrate. Even worse, missing or skipping any of these things can make migraines more likely. The good news is that migraines generally tend to lessen in severity and frequency throughout pregnancy. For some women, they disappear, especially as the pregnancy progresses. But then, for those who experienced them during pregnancy, migraines tend <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/postpartum-headache/">to increase after delivery</a>. This can be due to the decreasing hormone levels, as well as sleep deprivation, stress, dehydration and other environmental factors related to caring for an infant. Migraine attacks can also increase during <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21608-perimenopause">perimenopause</a>, a woman’s transitional phase to menopause. Again, fluctuating hormone levels, <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/perimenopause-and-migraines-4009311">particularly estrogen, trigger them</a>, along with the chronic pain, depression and sleep disturbances that can occur during this time. But as menopause progresses, migraines generally decline. In some cases, they completely go away. In the meantime, there are treatments that can help lessen both the frequency and severity of migraines throughout menopause, including <a href="https://www.webmd.com/menopause/menopause-hormone-therapy">hormone replacement therapy</a>. Hormone replacement therapy contains female hormones and is used to replace those that your body makes less of leading up to or after menopause. <h2>Men’s migraines</h2> The frequency and severity of migraines slightly increase for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102409355601">men in their early 20s</a>. They tend to slow down, peak again around age 50, then slow down or stop altogether. Why this happens is not well understood, although a combination of genetic factors, environmental influences and lifestyle choices may contribute to the rise. Medical researchers still have more to learn about why women and men get migraines. Bridging the gender gap in migraine research not only empowers women, but it also advances understanding of the condition as a whole and creates a future where migraines are better managed.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207606/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danielle-wilhour-1337610">Danielle Wilhour</a>, Assistant Professor of Neurology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-anschutz-medical-campus-4838">University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-get-far-more-migraines-than-men-a-neurologist-explains-why-and-what-brings-relief-207606">original article</a>.

Body

Style secrets from the world’s best-dressed men

Twice a year, in Florence’s Fortezza da Basso, an incredible event takes place – Pitti Uomo. Described as “the world’s most important platform for men’s clothing and accessory collections and for launching new projects in men’s fashion,” Pitti Uomo brings together the most stylish men in the world for four days of fashion. It’s also a street style hub, with hundreds of men strutting the streets as if they were catwalks. Here are some of their best style tips for men. 1. Invest in a good coat – A well-made, classic coat in a black, navy or any neutral tone will not only go with everything, but will last you decades. 2. Go beyond black – Yes, it’s slimming and easy to match, but black is rather predictable and bland. Go against the grain and give camel, tan, white and other natural hues a go. 3. Add your own flair – In a line-up of stylish men all wearing suits or trench coats, the ones who stand out are those who let their personality shine through their fashion. Add your own flair with patches, quirky buttons, and unexpected accessories like gloves, glasses, rings or a hat. 4. Get scruffy – Wild, untamed facial hair is having a bit of a renaissance, if the hundreds of bearded and moustachioed men at Pitti Uomo are anything to go by. Paired with a classic suit and long coat, there’s nothing trendier. 5. Be bold – Black and white and earthy tones always look good, but don’t be afraid to add a pop of colour with a bright jacket, scarf, tie or pocket square. 6. Layer up – As the temperature begins to dip, it’s the perfect opportunity to play around with layers. Short vests, long coats, jumpers and scarves can all work wonders if you can strike the right balance. 7. Watch it – No matter if you’re wearing a suit or a t-shirt and jeans, nothing says class and luxury quite like a good watch. You’d be hard-pressed to find a man without one at Pitti Uomo. 8. Think small – Finishing off the perfect outfit is all about the little things. Think cufflinks, collar pins and bars… it’s all in the details. Images: Getty

Beauty & Style

13 signs of cancer men are likely to ignore

<h2>Difficulty urinating</h2> If it’s consistently difficult to urinate, or there’s blood in your urine or semen, or if you experience unexplained erectile dysfunction, see your doctor; these could be symptoms of prostate cancer. “Unfortunately, there aren’t noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer until the aggressive stages,” says gastroenterologist Dr Moshe Shike. Dr Shike says he frequently sees patients who ignore these symptoms for up to six months before they seek help, but the sooner you check out your symptoms, the better. <h2>Testicular changes</h2> Just as women should be familiar with how their breasts look and feel, men should pay attention to their testicles. If you notice changes in size (to one or both), if they feel swollen or extra heavy, or if you feel a lump, these symptoms could indicate testicular cancer, says Dr Maurie Markman, an oncologist. Testicular cancer is most common in young and middle-aged men. <div> </div> <h2>Noticeable skin changes</h2> Men over 50 are more likely to die from skin cancer than women in the same age group; young men have a higher probability of developing deadly melanoma (the most serious skin cancer) than any other cancer, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It’s easy to miss the early warning signs of cancer in men, says Dr Richard Wender, a cancer specialist. “Many people think freckles, moles, or a darker age spot is just like the others they’ve had,” he explains. If you notice a mole getting darker, larger, or becoming raised, get it checked. With melanoma, spots are often irregularly shaped (not round), significantly darker in colour, or even two distinctly different colours within one spot, he says. “Melanoma is far less common than other skin cancers, but has the potential to be more deadly,” says Dr Wender. “However, many melanomas have a long period where they’re not invasive and easy to cure, as long as they’re caught early.” <h2>Sores or pain in your mouth</h2> A cold sore that heals is probably nothing to worry about, nor is a toothache that goes away after a trip to the dentist. But if you notice sores that don’t heal, pain that sticks around, white or red patches on the gums or tongue, and any swelling or numbness of the jaw, it could be a sign of some mouth cancers. Men who smoke or use chewing tobacco have an increased risk of developing mouth cancer, says Dr Markman. “More men smoke than women. Smokers and users of chewing tobacco need to be far more concerned with sores in their mouth that do not heal quickly, compared to non-smokers,” he says. <h2>Chronic coughing</h2> A cough that lasts three weeks or more – without other symptoms, such as a cold or allergies – could be an early symptom of lung cancer. Leukaemia can also lead to bronchitis-like symptoms. “If it’s different than your regular cough and if it persists, or you cough up a little blood, that’s significant,” says Dr Markman. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm. <h2>Blood in your stool</h2> It could be haemorrhoids or something benign – but it could also be a symptom of colon cancer. Routine screening typically starts at age 50, but cases are becoming more common in younger adults, which is why it’s important to see a doctor for any suspicious symptoms. “It’s easy to dismiss it as haemorrhoids or constipation, and if the problem comes and goes, people reassure themselves that nothing’s wrong, especially younger people,” says Dr Wender. “But blood in a bowel movement is never normal, so get it checked out.” <h2>Stomach pain or nausea</h2> Everyday digestive distress is rarely cancer – but you should see a doctor if you notice persistent stomach cramps or are starting to feel nauseated all the time. It could be something as simple as an ulcer, but it could also signal leukaemia or oesophageal, liver, pancreatic, or colorectal cancer. <h2>Frequent fevers or infections</h2> If you’re usually healthy but notice yourself getting sick or feverish more frequently, it could be an early sign of leukaemia. This blood cancer triggers the body to produce abnormal white blood cells, which weakens the body’s infection-fighting abilities. Be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms that don’t go away. <h2>Difficulty swallowing</h2> A sore throat that persists for a few weeks and gets worse could be a symptom of throat or stomach cancer, as well as an early sign of lung cancer. <h2>Excessive bruising</h2> A random bruise is probably nothing to worry about. However, if you start to notice bruises popping up all the time, especially in places you wouldn’t normally get them, like your hands or fingers, see a doctor. Unusual bruising can be a symptom of leukaemia, according to Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Over time, leukaemia impairs the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and clot. <h2>Unexplained weight loss</h2> “If you have less appetite when you usually have a good appetite, and there’s no big life event or problems happening to cause that, get it checked out,” says Dr Markman. Losing weight can be a side effect of many different cancers such as oesophageal, pancreatic, liver, and colon, but it’s an especially common symptom of leukaemia or lymphoma, says Dr Wender. <h2>Persistent fatigue</h2> Everyone has low-energy days. However, if you feel tired every day for more than a month, or experience shortness of breath when you didn’t before, see a doctor, says Dr Wender. Leukaemia and lymphoma commonly cause persistent fatigue. “Most of the time it won’t be cancer, but get it checked because you never know,” he says. <h2>Chronic headaches</h2> If you’re not prone to migraines and never get headaches, but suddenly find yourself popping pain meds all the time, it could be a sign of a brain tumour, which causes pain by pressing on nerves. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/13-signs-of-cancer-men-are-likely-to-ignore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Body

Like father, like son: new research shows how young men ‘copy’ their fathers’ masculinity

Today’s men express their maleness in different ways. Some adhere to more traditional models of masculinity, characterised by beliefs in male superiority and endorsement of risky or violent behaviours. Others embrace more progressive stances. But how do men develop their ideas, beliefs and behaviours in relation to masculinity? Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01364-y">new study</a> addresses this question by focusing on one important factor influencing how young men express their masculinity – their fathers. Our research set out to ask: do young men “copy” their fathers’ masculinity? We found that young men whose fathers support more traditional forms of masculinity are more likely to do so themselves. This highlights the critical role fathers play in steering boys towards healthier ideas about masculinity. <h2>Measuring masculinity</h2> We analysed data from 839 pairs of 15-to-20-year-old men and their fathers. These data were taken from a large, Australian <a href="https://tentomen.org.au/">national survey</a> on men’s health. The survey asked men a set of 22 <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ft27381-000">scientifically validated questions</a> about how they felt and behaved in relation to many issues around masculinity. For example, they were asked about: <ul> <li> the significance of work and social status for their sense of identity </li> <li> their take on showing emotions and being self-reliant </li> <li> their endorsement of risk-taking and violent behaviours </li> <li> the importance they assigned to appearing heterosexual and having multiple sex partners </li> <li> and their beliefs about winning, dominance over others and men’s power over women. </li> </ul> Taken together, the answers to these questions offered us a window into whether the men participating in the survey adopted more of a traditional or progressive type of masculinity. They also enabled us to compare fathers’ and sons’ expressions of masculinity. <h2>What we found</h2> We found that, on average, young men are slightly more traditional in how they express their masculinity than their fathers. On a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating high conformity to traditional masculinity and 0 indicating low conformity, the average masculinity score for young men was 44.1, and for their fathers, it was 41. Using statistical models, we then examined whether there was an association between how traditional a father’s masculinity is and how traditional their son’s masculinity is. To make sure we isolated the effect of fathers’ masculinity, the models took into account other factors that may also shape young men’s expressions of masculinity. These included their age, education, sexual orientation, religion, household income and place of residence, among others. The results were clear. Young men who scored highly on the traditional masculinity measures tended to have fathers who also scored highly. We identified similar results for 20 of the 22 individual masculinity questions. The strongest father-son associations emerged for questions about the endorsement of violence, importance of appearing heterosexual, and desirability of having multiple sexual partners. This indicates these aspects of masculinity are comparatively more likely to be “passed on” from fathers to sons. <h2>What our findings mean</h2> As is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0049089X21000740?via%3Dihub">well-established</a>, social learning is important in shaping young people’s attitudes and behaviours. While fathers aren’t the only influence, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01364-y">our study</a> suggests young men learn a lot about how to be a man from their dads. This is an intuitive finding, but we had little empirical evidence of it until now. Confirming that dads “pass on” their masculinity beliefs to their sons has far-reaching implications. For example, it goes a long way in explaining why traditional models of masculinity remain entrenched in today’s society. Our study indicates that breaking this cycle requires bringing fathers into the mix. Policies, interventions and programs aimed at promoting <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0216955">healthy masculinity</a> among young people are more likely to work if they also target their dads. This proposition is consistent with a growing body of programs focused on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31495253/">engaging fathers</a> in positive parenting. What’s more, our findings underscore the potential long-term effects of successful intervention. If a program manages to help young people develop <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Adolescent-Boys-and-Young-Men-final-web_0.pdf">positive masculinity</a>, it’s likely that — as they themselves become fathers — their own children’s masculinity is also positively affected. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/like-father-like-son-new-research-shows-how-young-men-copy-their-fathers-masculinity-203834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Family & Pets

Female artists earn less than men. Coming from a diverse cultural background incurs even more of a penalty – but there is good news, too

Artists all over the world, regardless of their gender, earn <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/handbook/handbook-of-the-economics-of-art-and-culture">considerably less</a> than professionals in occupations requiring similar levels of education and qualifications. But there’s an additional income penalty for artists who are female. In an analysis of gender differences in the incomes of professional artists in Australia that <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/the-gender-pay-gap-among-australian-artists/">we undertook in 2020</a>, we found the creative incomes of women were 30% less than those of men. This is true even after allowing for differences in such things as hours worked, education and training, time spent in childcare and so on. This income penalty on women artists was greater than the gender pay gap of 16% experienced in the overall Australian workforce at the time. <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-australia-celebrates-its-work-in-gender-equality-but-things-are-far-from-equal-122266">Some sectors</a> of the arts have tried to redress this problem. However, women continue to suffer serious and unexplained gender-based discrimination in the artistic workplace. Cultural differences are <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w27725">also known</a> to influence pay gaps in many countries. In new research <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/culture-and-the-gender-pay-gap-for-australian-artists">out today</a>, we considered whether cultural factors might also affect the gender pay gap of artists in Australia. In addition, we analysed the gender pay gap for remote Indigenous artists for the first time. <h2>A larger gap for women from a non-English speaking background</h2> In our <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/making-art-work/">2016 survey of 826 professional artists</a> working in metropolitan, regional and rural Australia, we asked participants if they came from a non-English speaking background. Only a relatively small proportion of artists – 10% – came from a non-English-speaking background, compared to 18% for the Australian labour force as a whole. A non-English-speaking background appears to carry an income penalty only for women artists, not for men. We found the annual creative earnings of female artists from a non-English-speaking background are about 71% of the creative incomes of female artists whose first language is English. But there is little difference between the corresponding incomes of male artists. Within the group of artists from language backgrounds other than English, the annual creative earnings of female artists are about half (53%) those of their male counterparts. By contrast, the ratio of female to male creative earnings among English-speaking background artists is 73%. These results suggest that women artists from a non-English-speaking background suffer a triple earnings penalty – from being an artist (and hence as a group earning less than comparable professionals), from their gender, and from their cultural background. Despite this earnings disadvantage, 63% of artists who identified as having a first language other than English thought their background had a positive impact on their artistic practice. Only 16% thought it had a negative impact. When artists were asked whether being from a non-English speaking background was a restricting factor in their professional artistic development, 17% of women answered “yes”, compared to only 5% of men from a similar background. Nevertheless, like their male colleagues, these women artists continue to celebrate their cultural background in their art. They contribute to the increasingly multicultural content of the arts in Australia, holding up a mirror to trends in Australian society at large. <h2>No gender gap in remote Indigenous communities</h2> For First Nations artists working in remote communities, a different picture emerges. For this research, we used results for remote communities in three regions of northern Australia drawn from our <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/257301">National Survey of Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists</a>. The gender gap is not replicated among remotely practising First Nations artists. There are some minor variations in this finding for subgroups in different regions, depending in part on differences in the mix of visual and performing artists in the population. But whatever other differentials may exist between female and male earnings, they do not appear to be attributable to the sorts of systemic gender-based discrimination that affects the residual gender gap for other Australian artists. A possible reason relates to fundamental differences between the cultural norms, values and inherited traditions that apply in remote and very remote First Nations communities. Gender roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/can.1992.7.2.02a00020">described</a> by researchers as distinctively different, rather than superior or inferior. The importance of both women and men as bearers of culture has been clearly articulated. The unique cultural content of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, dance, visual art and literature is an essential feature of the work of these artists. These characteristics pass through to the marketplace, and there does not appear to be any obvious gender gap in the way the art from these remote communities is received. There is always differentiation between the art produced in different remote regions of Australia which varies depending on the complexities of different inherited cultural traditions. But there is no indication of any gender-based discrimination associated with these regional differences. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/female-artists-earn-less-than-men-coming-from-a-diverse-cultural-background-incurs-even-more-of-a-penalty-but-there-is-good-news-too-195646" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Why men fall asleep faster than women

The US department of health and services have recently stated that insomnia is more common in women than men. Experts attribute this to a variety of factors, including hormonal changes during the menstruation cycle, menopause, physical discomfort during pregnancy and a range of other conditions women are more prone to. Such conditions include anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia and restless head syndrome. Even motherhood alone can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Sleep psychologist and behavioural sleep medicine specialist Michelle Drerup told CNN that many of her patients have ‘mommy ears’. By this, she means mothers don’t sleep as deeply because of an underlying concern about being quick to respond to their child should there be a disturbance in the night. Not all hope is lost for those of you suffering though, follow these trick to improve sleep <ul> <li>Avoid certain foods such as red meat, tomato sauce, broccoli or anything spicy for dinner</li> <li>Keep your feet cool so that helps lower your internal body temperature, in turn signalling to your body that it's time to snooze</li> <li>Stretch your muscles before bed</li> <li>Cut down on caffeine</li> <li>Take any medications you need on schedule everyday</li> <li>Address snoring problems (your partners or your own)</li> </ul> Image: Getty

Caring

Unpaid and unequal: women’s extra workload affects mental wellbeing

Women do the bulk of unpaid domestic work globally and the added burden has an impact on their mental health – but surprisingly there’s little independent empirical research about this. Now, there is data, which shows the double burden of paid and unpaid work results in increased depressive or psychological distress for women as unpaid labour increases. Researchers at the University of Melbourne reviewed the evidence for the gendered nature of unpaid work and consequences for mental health among employed adults, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00160-8/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">publishing</a> their results in Lancet Public Health. Public health researcher and lead author, Jen Ervin, says the research showed women were uniformly doing more unpaid work across every geographical and time setting. “What our review tells us is that, in addition to the economic penalty women experience carrying out most of the world’s unpaid labour load, there is a troubling mental health cost as well,” she says. While further research is needed, Ervin says the most widely acknowledged explanation for the impact on mental health is that the combined paid and unpaid workload triggers stress-related pathways. It also reduces time for activities known to be protective for mental health such as sleep, leisure and physical activity. The findings won’t come as a surprise to many, especially women, she says. Indeed. The study follows <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/news/47524-yet-again--the-census-shows-women-are-doing-more-housework.-now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-interventions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">census data</a> confirming (once again) that Australian women do more hours of unpaid housework than men. And <a href="https://cew.org.au/2022-cew-census-an-urgent-wakeup-call-ceo-gender-balance-100-years-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">another report</a> this week commissioned by Chief Executive Women indicating caring responsibilities in the pandemic held back progress on women’s workforce participation and leadership. For what seems like an intractable problem, what can be done to change things? Ervin says, “we believe that policies such as universal childcare and normalising flexible working arrangements and extended paternity leave for men can help in shifting the dial and driving greater gender equality in the division of unpaid labour and unpaid care. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p205326-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “Some of these measures will also aid and facilitate the harder task of shifting some of the outdated attitudes and beliefs around labour division.” It’s important to note many men are taking a more active role in childcare and housework. But men can be limited in doing so by factors such as inflexible workplace arrangements or social stigma, she says. The University of Melbourne research focussed on employed adults, the ‘double burden’ effect of combining paid work with unpaid work, and how this subsequently creates issues of overload and time poverty. It found substantial gender differences. Of the 14 studies reviewed for the article – totalling more than 66,800 participants worldwide – five examined unpaid labour (inclusive of care), nine examined housework time and, of these, four also examined childcare. Overall, in 11 of the 14 studies, women self-reported increased depressive or psychological distress symptoms with increasing unpaid labour demands. For men, only three out of a possible 12 studies reported any negative association. An aspect not captured in the current review, Ervin says, is the difference in the gendered allocation of household tasks. For example, men often do less-time-sensitive outdoor or maintenance tasks such as mowing the lawn or cleaning the gutters. These jobs aren’t as time-pressured as feeding a hungry child or driving them to an appointment. And while more difficult to measure, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13668803.2021.2002813?journalCode=ccwf20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other research</a> shows women are also often carrying more of the mental load of household labour. Unfortunately, Australia is lagging behind many other countries when it comes to key gender equality indicators such as unpaid labour division, Ervin says. This week a <a href="https://cew.org.au/2022-cew-census-an-urgent-wakeup-call-ceo-gender-balance-100-years-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> commissioned by Chief Executive Women drew attention to the lack of progress made by Australia’s top companies in appointing women to leadership roles. The report, prepared by management consultants Bain & Company, says 73% of executive roles in ASX300 companies are held by men, and 85% of line management roles. The report says COVID-19 set back women’s workforce participation, as they took on the bulk of the increased caring responsibilities. This is consistent with <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/news/47524-yet-again--the-census-shows-women-are-doing-more-housework.-now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-interventions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">findings</a> from other University of Melbourne research showing the “catastrophic” impact of the pandemic on women’s lives, especially for mothers. Restrictions such as school closures and remote learning added to the domestic workload for everyone, but the gender gap remained. Women, more often than men, reduced their paid work to meet the increased demands. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute also <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/mental-health-maternal-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> maternal wellbeing was profoundly impacted by the pandemic, finding a third of women experienced clinically significant mental health problems during Victoria’s second lockdown, with ongoing fatigue and parenting stress. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=205326&title=Unpaid+and+unequal%3A+women%26%238217%3Bs+extra+workload+affects+mental+wellbeing" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/womens-unpaid-work-and-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst. Image: Getty Images </div>

Mind

Aggressive prostate cancer might be linked to ancestral heritage

Globally prostate cancer was the second most frequent cancer, and the fifth leading cause of cancer death, among men in 2020. It was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia in 2018 (and is estimated to remain so in 2022); a man has a 1 in 6 (or 17%) risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85. But not everyone on Earth is similarly affected by the disease, in fact there are significant differences in the severity of prostate cancer across different ethnicities – particularly across sub-Saharan Africa, where mortality rates are 2.7 times higher than global averages. But is it ancestry, geography, or a combination of the two, that’s causing this variation? To address this question, researchers sequenced the genetics of prostate cancer tumours from South African, Brazilian, and Australian donors. The results, which have been published in two new studies in Nature and Genome Medicine, identified new prostate cancer subtypes and cancer drivers that can distinguish a patient’s ancestry and predict whether the cancer might become life-threatening. “Our understanding of prostate cancer has been severely limited by a research focus on Western populations,” says senior author, Professor Vanessa Hayes, genomicist and Petre Chair of Prostate Cancer Research at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health in Australia. “We found Africans to be impacted by a greater number and spectrum of acquired (including cancer driver) genetic alterations, with significant implications for ancestral consideration when managing and treating prostate cancer,” Hayes says. <h2>Africans’ prostate cancer tumours have more mutations</h2> The researchers sequenced the genomes of untreated prostate cancer samples collected from 183 patients – including 123 South African, 53 Australian, and 7 Brazilian individuals – and were able to identify around 2 million genetic variants (mutations) involved in the cancer. “What was unique about this study is that we sequenced – it means we read the entire DNA sequence of the tumour and blood – from the Africans and Australians in the exact same batch, everything was done in Australia,” explains Hayes. “And that was really important, because that meant the samples went through one technical pipeline and one analysis pipeline.” This was necessary so that the genomic data of all the patients in the study, whether from Australia, Brazil, or South Africa, could be compared – like apples to apples. “Most Australian men, nine out of ten actually, will die with prostate cancer rather than from prostate cancer. We have no idea what distinguishes that one of the ten Australians on the line-up, so we actually have to look away from Australia to try and understand the context,” says Hayes. And they found significant differences between the tumours of people with African ancestry compared to those from Europe. In Africans, the tumours were more mutated – they had a higher tumour mutational burden. According to Hayes, this is important because small mutational events are usually not as common in prostate cancer, like they are in melanoma or lung cancer. And, unlike UV exposure with melanoma or smoking with lung cancer, there is no known carcinogenic driver for prostate cancer. “What we saw in Africans is that the burden of these small changes was higher than in Australians, which raises the idea: is there some carcinogen, some environmental exposure within Africa, which is contributing to aggressive prostate cancer in the region? “So, if we can identify it, then maybe that is what that one of the ten Australian men were also exposed to in their lifetime.” <h2>New ways to classify prostate cancer subtypes</h2> Using computational data science, the team was able to classify the prostate cancers into four different subtypes called global mutational subtypes (GMS). “Combining our unique dataset with the largest public data source of European and Chinese cancer genomes allowed us, for the first time, to place the African prostate cancer genomic landscape into a global context,” says Dr Weerachai Jaratlerdsiri, a computational biologist from the University of Sydney and first author on the Nature paper. Because the patients’ genomes had been sequenced from samples of their blood as well as the tumours, the researchers were able to define their genetic ancestries. Hayes says it’s like doing Ancestry.com but on steroids, because while “Ancestry.com only looks at 600,000 letters across the DNA, we looked at 7 million.” They identified two cancer subtypes – GMS-B and GMS-D – that were only found in the populations with African ancestry. They also identified the universal GMS-A subtype (which occurred in all ethnicities) and the GMS-C subtype – seen in people with African ancestry and people with European ancestry. Those with the GMS-C subtype were significantly more likely to die from prostate cancer than the other subtypes, and clinicians will now be able to use this finding as a prognostic marker to determine whether someone might experience poor clinical outcomes. Five of the South Africans included in the study had European ancestry, but their families had lived in South Africa for multiple generations. Interestingly, one of them had a tumour categorised as a GMS-D subtype, despite this otherwise only having been seen in patients with African ancestry. The team have now received funding to look at a further 100 Africans with European ancestry, but whose ancestors had lived in Africa for generations, to see whether there is a geographical, environmental aspect that might be contributing to the accumulation of these types of mutations. <h2>Opening up new avenues for treatment</h2> The second paper, published in Genome Medicine, focused on the large and dramatic changes to the genome, called “structural variations”, that prostate cancer is prone to. For instance, parts of the chromosome break off, delete, or insert themselves somewhere else, or the chromosomes shatter and come back together again causing rearrangements. These are difficult to locate in the genome because scientists have to use computational methods to infer whether these mutations are there or not. But by using multiple different computational tools the researchers were able to identify brand new mutational drivers of prostate cancer – genes not previously known to be involved in prostate cancer. This opens up new opportunities for treatment, because knowing these drivers allows scientists to design new therapeutic targets or repurpose existing drugs that may already be used to target these genes in other diseases. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/prostate-cancer-ancestral-heritage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Imma Perfetto. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Suicide rates reveal the silent suffering of Australia’s ageing men

Men aged 85 and older have the highest suicide rates in Australia, but the tragedy has gone relatively unnoticed. This group is growing older, feeling alone and flying under the radar. The tragedy of suicide is recognised as a major public health issue. Yet what may come as a surprise to many is data <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/latest-release#intentional-self-harm-deaths-suicide-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing men over 85 have suicide rates more than three times the average rate. Public perception is that men – in particular, young men – have the highest suicide risk. While this is true for the net number of suicides, if we don’t consider age-standardised rates (which account for differences in age distribution across the population) we miss a crucial finding. Adjusting for age Men aged over 85 accounted for a relatively small proportion of all male suicides (3.1%) in 2020 (the latest data available). But the age-specific suicide rate was 36.2 deaths per 100,000 (up from 32.3 per 100,000 in 2019). For women aged over 85, this rate was much lower (6.2 per 100,000). The next highest rate was for men in both the 40-44 and 50-54 age bands (27.1 per 100,000). In 2020, the overall suicide rate was 12.1 per 100,000 people. But this issue is rarely addressed in public discourse or policy directives. The <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/2020-21#psychological-distress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing</a> released last month did not include data on people older than 85. This risk is <a href="https://theconversation.com/elderly-men-have-the-highest-suicide-rate-and-ageism-stops-us-from-doing-something-about-it-46923" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not new</a>, but little has changed to address it over the past decade. In light of COVID and what it has <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.679711/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed about ageism</a> and the value of older people in our society, it is crucial to explore these issues again. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477294/original/file-20220803-1926-uuu06d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="older man with head in hands" /></a><figcaption>All the key risk factors for suicide have become even more relevant due to COVID. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-man-covering-his-face-hands-701935606" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> Preventable deaths It is startling that men who have shown resilience to survive to late life are at such risk of preventable death. Many factors contribute, including physical and material circumstances like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28511737/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frailty, chronic pain, bereavement</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23209090/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">financial troubles</a>. However, we cannot assume only external issues cause distress and lead to suicide. In fact, for older people, successful ageing is rarely defined purely by physical circumstances. Ageing well often implies flourishing despite hardship. The silent challenge among men aged over 85 who take their own lives is psychological and existential distress, which can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20438238/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reinforce feelings of loneliness and worthlessness</a>. Older men at risk of suicide may feel they are “no longer needed” or perceive themselves as “burdensome” to family and community. These beliefs can overlap with major life transitions, such as retirement, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31431103/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stopping driving</a> or <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21500012/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moving to residential care, where they are a minority</a>. Such stressful events can increase feelings of marginalisation, loss of independence and worthlessness, and also lead to social isolation. Talking about it A reluctance to express their feelings or be vulnerable has long been discussed as an important factor for men’s wellbeing, especially when they’re feeling low. Research suggests gender stereotypes and social norms linked to masculinity <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27664823/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce help-seeking behaviours</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2156869317725890" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can increase suicide risk</a>. Many ageing men hold restrictive and stoic beliefs about what it means to be a man. This may make them <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29019282/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less inclined to share</a> when they aren’t coping. Yet emerging research <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27473200/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenges the assumption</a> men don’t talk because they can’t. One reason men are not talking about their mental health struggles is because there’s <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/153516" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nowhere for them</a> to open up in a way they see as culturally and socially acceptable. Instead, older men are speaking through their actions. Suicide prevention and early intervention responses that are not tailored to the needs of older men are unlikely to be effective. We need to meet men where they are and listen to their quiet and absent voices by designing programs in partnership with them. This means better understanding men’s <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28871841/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">barriers</a> to suicide interventions. These include a lack of trust in traditional services and an aversion to “formal” supports that frame emotional distress and suicidal behaviours as mental illness. It also means exploring, developing and funding new options that are acceptable, relevant and accessible, such as gendered support, peer-led programs, community-based informal support and programs combining exercise with mental health promotion. The objective is not only to develop more suitable suicide prevention for this specific group, but also to examine broader interactions between ageing, isolation and loneliness; <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-psychogeriatrics/article/covid19-the-implications-for-suicide-in-older-adults/9890D02E0DA3021FCFE66B9A29F2684E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all key risk factors</a> for suicide that have become even more relevant due to COVID. More calls for help Increased feelings of distress and loneliness produced by the pandemic can be measured by <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-04/lifeline-records-highest-daily-calls-on-record/100350522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased calls to services such as Lifeline</a>. And more persistent mental health problems are likely to present more slowly, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2020-41461-001.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over longer horizons</a>, and peak after the most acute phases of the pandemic. Older people have handled much of the burden of COVID, including unprecedented <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7295320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restrictions and ageist sentiments</a>. We must recognise these factors – growing old, being alone and feeling unheard - underpin increasing distress felt by men aged over 85, not only during the pandemic, but more generally. This group must be seen as a priority population for suicide prevention. We must start listening and work together to find solutions so older men can access the help they need in a way that suits them. <hr /> UNSW Ageing Futures Institute would like to acknowledge the research contribution of <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/about/our-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lifeline Research Foundation</a>’s Dr Anna Brooks (National Manager) and Dr Tara Hunt (Research and Engagement Manager). <hr /> If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call these support services, 24 hours, 7 days: <ul> <li> Lifeline: 13 11 14 </li> <li> Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 </li> <li> Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 (for people aged 5 to 25) </li> <li> MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978 </li> <li> StandBy - Support After Suicide: 1300 727 24<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187925/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> </li> </ul> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rhys-mantell-1350710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rhys Mantell</a>, PhD Candidate, School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrienne-withall-1366339" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrienne Withall</a>, Senior Research Fellow, School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/suicide-rates-reveal-the-silent-suffering-of-australias-ageing-men-187925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Mind

Australian women are less likely to receive pre-hospital stroke care than men

Paramedics are failing to recognise strokes in women as much as they do for men, according to a new <a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/women-less-likely-receive-pre-hospital-stroke-care-men" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> of New South Wales stroke patients. Researchers suggest that clinician sex bias might be the cause. In 2018 it was <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/heart-stroke-and-vascular-disease-and-subtypes/stroke" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimated</a> that 387,000 Australians aged over 15 years had experienced a stroke at some point in their lives. The success of treatment is very time dependent, so it’s critical that patients suffering from stroke are identified as soon as possible, preferably before arriving at hospital. But according to the study by Australian researchers, women (aged under 70) suffering with stroke were less likely than men to receive stroke care management prior to hospital admission – despite being more likely to arrive at hospital by ambulance. This is concerning, as other research shows stroke outcomes are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31719135/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">generally worse</a> for women than men – with greater stroke-related disability and poorer subsequent quality of life. “Our study suggests that better recognition of stroke symptoms in women by ambulance staff could ensure the right treatment is started as early as possible and give them the best opportunity for recovery,” says lead author Dr Xia Wang, research fellow at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney. There are two types of stroke: ischaemic stroke occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain becomes blocked, and haemorrhagic stroke occurs when one ruptures and begins to bleed. This can cause parts of the brain to die – resulting in impairment that can affect things like speech, movement, and communication – or can often be fatal. Thanks to development in medical research <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatment for stroke</a> is changing, but the efficacy of these treatments is highly time-dependent and rapid and accurate pre-hospital assessment is critical for successful outcomes. “When stroke is not recognised early, delays can have serious consequences,” says co-author Dr Cheryl Carcel, senior research fellow and academic lead of the George Institute’s Global Brain Health Initiative. “Procedures for in-ambulance stroke care ensure patients with stroke symptoms are brought to a high-level specialised facility quickly to receive life-saving treatment.” In a population-based cohort study, researchers analysed data from more than 200,0000 patients (51% women) admitted to NSW hospitals between July 2005 and December 2018 and subsequently diagnosed as having a stroke. Just over half of all stroke patients were taken to hospital via ambulance, with women (52.4%) more likely than men (47.9%) to arrive this way. Despite this, women were less likely to receive stroke care management prior to hospital admission. “Among patients under 70 years of age, women were less likely than men to be assessed by paramedics as having a stroke, but there was no significant difference for older patients,” the authors say. Instead, they were more frequently assessed by paramedics as having conditions which mimic stroke – like headache or migraine, anxiety, and unconsciousness – which contributed to a delay in the recognition and treatment of stroke. There was no significant difference for older patients. Health professionals know that on initial presentation, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31114842/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atypical clinical symptoms of stroke</a> occur more frequently in women. So, these findings could be due to a difference in symptoms, although it’s also possible that implicit sex bias exists amongst healthcare providers. “While there aren’t any studies looking at clinician sex bias in stroke, we have evidence from other countries where it is happening in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3810172/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coronary artery disease</a>,” explains Carcel. This has also been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002870321001885?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a> to be the case for myocardial infarction (heart attack), with women less likely to be assessed by paramedics as having MI than men. “Greater awareness among all health professionals about differences in symptom presentation between men and women could help address this bias,” concludes Carcel. “In the case of stroke, this is particularly important for ambulance staff, so that women are identified early and treatment is commenced even before they reach the hospital.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/australian-women-stroke-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos</a>. Image: Getty

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