The Partnership for Male Youth (PMY) is the only US national organization whose sole focus is on the health and wellbeing of adolescent and young adult (AYA) males, or Gen Z males, those between the ages of 10 and 25. It is widely accepted that there is a need to address their physical and mental healthcare needs more fully. Hence, PMY’s mission is “to work with and for AYA males to optimize their health and ensure that they thrive.” PMY has pursued its mission for more than a decade. It is composed of a network of twenty-three national and international organizations that have a stake, or potential stake, in AYA male health.
After age 15, male adolescents' use of primary care services declines, while female adolescents' use increases. The increase for females is primarily due to an increase in use of OB/GYN services. Overall, except for largely episodic school exams, sports physicals and visits to the ER, once AYA males leave the pediatrician’s office they are largely left outside of our health care system.
Yet, according to CDC data, AYA males are at higher risk than their female contemporaries for:
It’s not surprising, therefore, that males do not become reunited with our health care system until they suffer from an acute or chronic illness later in life. Ironically, some of those illnesses are caused by a lack of preventive care in the intervening years.
In recent years, PMY has developed and supported several programs with a dual purpose: to raise awareness among clinicians as well as the public, parents and caregivers about the importance of this issue, and to provide them with the resources and means to address it, through, among other things, education.
The success of any national effort to raise awareness is dependent upon a group/team of healthcare experts that can credibly address the issue at hand. Reflecting the need for greater awareness on AYA male health among clinicians, parents and other caregivers, up until PMY’s recent efforts there was a relative dearth of faculty to address this issue. To that end PMY has, in recent years, reached out to those professionals who are experts in AYA male health, to engage them in PMY’s efforts to educate clinicians and other caregivers on the subject.
This faculty, now organized, is groundbreaking. PMY has worked with that faculty to develop curricula that would be appropriate for audiences composed of health care providers, parents and other caregivers. No other organization has taken on this task. Hence, PMY has launched its AYA Male Health Expert Faculty Program.
Based on PMY’s educational experience the program initially includes the following AYA male health subjects, which reflect the conditions for which AYA males are at greater risk:
The target audience for the program, in addition to parents and other caregivers, is health care providers, which include pediatric, adolescent, family medicine, emergency medicine and primary care providers, nurse practitioners, nurses and other healthcare providers in settings that include medical practice (public and private), schools, and emergency rooms. These are target rich environments for advancing AYA male health.
For more information about available faculty and curricula, contact Dennis Barbour, PMY President and CEO, at [email protected].
After age 15, male adolescents' use of primary care services declines, while female adolescents' use increases. The increase for females is primarily due to an increase in use of OB/GYN services. Overall, except for largely episodic school exams, sports physicals and visits to the ER, once AYA males leave the pediatrician’s office they are largely left outside of our health care system.
Yet, according to CDC data, AYA males are at higher risk than their female contemporaries for:
- Death by suicide
- ADHD diagnosis
- Substance abuse
- Homicide
- Risky behaviors
- Accidental injury
- Certain STIs (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, oropharyngeal cancer, hepatitis B & C)
It’s not surprising, therefore, that males do not become reunited with our health care system until they suffer from an acute or chronic illness later in life. Ironically, some of those illnesses are caused by a lack of preventive care in the intervening years.
In recent years, PMY has developed and supported several programs with a dual purpose: to raise awareness among clinicians as well as the public, parents and caregivers about the importance of this issue, and to provide them with the resources and means to address it, through, among other things, education.
The success of any national effort to raise awareness is dependent upon a group/team of healthcare experts that can credibly address the issue at hand. Reflecting the need for greater awareness on AYA male health among clinicians, parents and other caregivers, up until PMY’s recent efforts there was a relative dearth of faculty to address this issue. To that end PMY has, in recent years, reached out to those professionals who are experts in AYA male health, to engage them in PMY’s efforts to educate clinicians and other caregivers on the subject.
This faculty, now organized, is groundbreaking. PMY has worked with that faculty to develop curricula that would be appropriate for audiences composed of health care providers, parents and other caregivers. No other organization has taken on this task. Hence, PMY has launched its AYA Male Health Expert Faculty Program.
Based on PMY’s educational experience the program initially includes the following AYA male health subjects, which reflect the conditions for which AYA males are at greater risk:
- Mental health (ADHD, depression, suicide, etc.),
- Substance use disorders,
- Body image and eating disorders,
- Sexual health and sexuality,
- Relational health and positive youth development,
- HIV and STIs,
- Vaccinations,
- Contraception.
The target audience for the program, in addition to parents and other caregivers, is health care providers, which include pediatric, adolescent, family medicine, emergency medicine and primary care providers, nurse practitioners, nurses and other healthcare providers in settings that include medical practice (public and private), schools, and emergency rooms. These are target rich environments for advancing AYA male health.
For more information about available faculty and curricula, contact Dennis Barbour, PMY President and CEO, at [email protected].