Book Reviews
Men's Health: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals
T. Harrison and K. Dignan
ISBN: 0-443059-19-5 1999 Churchill Livingstone
Anne McMurray
Murdoch University, Mandurah WA
This is an interesting volume from a cross-section of British authors addressing an area of growing concern among all health professionals. The volume has some very useful insights into men's health and the factors that conspire to place them at risk for ill health. Some chapters are exceptional, while others are confined to presenting the current state of the men's health debate in the UK. However, the book provides a useful addition to the ongoing dialogue in gender-related health issues.
As indicated in the Foreword and Preface, the book is based on the notion that men and women have different health risks and different perceptions of health, leading to differential help-seeking behaviours. This mandates greater understanding among health professionals of gender-related issues that have an impact on all aspects of health care along the prevention to treatment continuum. Some of the chapters provide an overview of the issues, however this is always the case when the authors must cover a vast range of topics within one volume.
Paul Shilton's chapter redresses this in his comprehensive analysis of 'Genetic Man', however the inherent risk in this approach is a large amount of scientifically dense material.
Howard Shilton's chapter on Men's Health and Culture represents the essence of the book in a balanced and insightful discussion of the impact of social and cultural factors on men's health and their susceptibility to illness. Of particular note is his reference to Herzfeld's dichotomy of 'being a good man' and 'being good at being a man'.
Shilton provides a succinct summary of the chapter's four major points in his conclusion: health is multifactorial, culture is not homogenous, because human behaviour is learned it can be unlearned or relearned, and all modifications of behaviour should be balanced with cultural awareness and sensitivity.
Tony Harrison's chapter on The Sexual Male, follows logically in the set. It is well structured, but confined in the final section to a discussion of only STD's and impotence as the major disorders that interfere with sexual health. However, his conclusion is strong, underlining the main contention that society needs positive images of sexually healthy males.
The chapter on Men and fertility by Elizabeth Pease is excellent. She discusses an explanation of fertility and infertility issues in-depth, with an emphasis on current research findings and practice knowledge related to IVF treatment. If more was known about the psychosocial experiences of men related to IVF treatment, this would be an important addition.
Karen Dignan's chapter 'Men and Parenting' provides an interesting midwifery perspective, particularly in her discussion of men and pregnancy. One contentious issue relates to the comment she makes in relation to access fathers. She suggests that being the visiting parent permits fathers quality time, an overly simplistic argument now called into question by Australian evidence. The issue of family separation is treated in greater depth in the two chapters on 'Men and Mental Health' and 'Men and Counselling' by Karen Price and Catherine Rhodes respectively. These are excellent chapters, covering important issues sensitively and with relevance to health professionals.
The other chapters, 'Men and Heart Disease' (Judith Ormrod), 'Men and Work' (Mullarkey and Playle) and 'Promoting Health to Men' (Christine Furber) all provide comprehensive discussions of their topic in a framework that is easily related to the practice activities of nurses and health professionals.
In all, the book is useful, although oriented primarily toward the health care system and styles of practice in the UK. It represents a good blend of physical, mental and social health perspectives and will be a useful addition to the library.
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