Abstracts

33Setting up a men’s health clinic

S.H. Teoh. Singapore Men’s Health Clinic, Singapore

Background: In almost every society, men’s health data

are poor when compared with that of women. There

is wide suggestion that men specific health initiatives

would help improve men’s health outcomes. However,

it is not known whether such initiatives will positively

impact men’s health.

Objective: This paper will present the experience of the

author and his colleagues in setting up a private men’s

health clinic.

Forum on Men’s Health

34Promotion of men’s health in Malaysia

C.J. Ng. University of Malaya, Malaysia

Large community studies in Malaysia have confirmed

the tremendous disease burden among ageing men

in Malaysia. The prevalences of obesity, diabetes,

hypertension anddyslipidaemiaare alarming. In addition,

erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms and

testosterone deficiency are common occurrences among

men. All these conditions were found to have a significant

impact on the quality of life of Malaysian men.

However, Malaysian men do not undergo regular health

screening and tend to delay in seeking help when ill. Local

qualitative studies with men and their partnersrevealed

that men, despite being aware of the importance of

health, faced difficulty in balancing between work and

healthy living. Family and peers play an important role in

motivating them to seek treatment and adopt a healthy

lifestyle.

Currently, there is no concerted effort nationally to

promote men’s health in Malaysia. At the macro level,

there is no policy focusing on men’s health and public

health campaigns are lacking. At the meso level, there is

lack of focus on men’s health in the undergraduate and

postgraduate medical and allied health curriculum. At

the micro level, the primary care doctors, who are at the

frontline of care, may not have the necessary knowledge,

skills and resources to address men’s health issues using

a ‘men-centred’ approach.

Therefore, promotion of men’s health in Malaysia is

critical. An integrative approach is necessary to drive

this movement. This must involve the government

policy makers; the medical societies and associations;

academic institutions; and men’s health support groups

including men’s partners. Research is urgently needed to

develop and evaluate interventions which are effective in

motivating healthy lifestyle; increasing screening uptake;

and encouraging appropriate health-seeking behaviour

among men in Malaysia.

35Promotion of men’s health in Australia

G. Millan. Men’s Health Services, Australia

The Australasian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) is thenational peak body for men and boy’s health and social

well being in Australia. This presentation will highlight

the work of AMHF over the past ten years in providinga model for men’s health work in Australia and provide

examples of best practice work on the area of men’shealth promotion. The Federal Government announced

the first National Male Health Policy for Australia in May

2010 and I will be presenting key recommendations fromthe Policy and discussing the way we work to improve

male health in our country.

36Men’s health issues in Japan

H. Okada1, S. Horie2. 1 Department of Urology, DokkyoMedical University Koshigaya Hospital, 2 Department of Urology,Teikyo University School of Medicine, Japan

Background: Current trend of studying and treating

of men’s health started only four years ago in Japan.This is the time to clarify what had been achieved and

what should be done in Japan as a leading industrialized

country in ASEAN.Objective: To investigate the clinical trials and review

papers dealing ‘Men’s Health’ conducted or published inJapan. To clarify the treatment methods used to improve

men’s health in Japan.

Methods: Survey of clinical trials and review papersconducted or published in Japan through PubMed and

Ichushi (a search engine of medical papers published inJapan) was done.

Results: No large-scale randomized clinical trial has

been published and less than 20 review papers havebeen published. A clinical guide line for the LOH

syndrome (late onset hypogonadism) was published in2007. Current treatment options improving men’s health

are HRT (testosterone replacement therapy), PDE5-i,

kampo medicine, supplements, herbs, exercise, andaroma therapy. However, no definite indication of each

treatment was postulated.Conclusions: We are just on the start line to find out the

best way to improve men’s health in Japan.

Keywords: Clinical guide line; Medical treatment; Physicaltreatment; Alternative medicine

jmh Vol. 8, Suppl. 1, S97–S121, April 2011 S109