January: 2020
BACKGROUND
As evidenced by the research and the recommendations of a number of health-related organizations, adolescent and young adult (AYA) males between the ages of 10 and 25 have health care needs that are unique to their gender. At the same time, AYA males typically do not seek out or receive health care services. While there are a number of venues where AYA male health services could be provided, health care providers in these venues are not well equipped to interact with AYA males. Even if they desire to provide services to AYA males, providers do not have ready access to information or training about how to do so. Furthermore, even venues that do provide health care to AYA males, such as family planning clinics providing STD services, are not typically male-friendly, and are often viewed by adolescent males as places where females go for services. Finally, all venues that provide health care services to adolescents are challenged by reimbursement policies; this is particularly the case for AYA males.
The Partnership for Male Youth was formed to address these issues. We represent the first time that major health organizations have joined together to specifically address the health care needs of AYA males.
The Partnership’s mission is to work with and on behalf of adolescent and young adult males to optimize their health and ensure that they thrive.
The mission of the Partnership is accomplished through eight principle endeavors:
Many other organizations address adolescent health issues either in non-sex specific ways, or, if they do address adolescent health issues in a sex-specific way, only in terms of females. What makes the work of the Partnership for Male Youth distinct from and of added value to these efforts is the fact that it focuses on the health care needs of AYA males that are both unique to their sex and unmet.
There are at least six major audiences for information about AYA male health: health care providers, parents, AYA males, policymakers, researchers and the public. Furthermore, while the term AYA males is used to define males ages 10 to 25, within this range there are four main AYA male age groups, each of which have distinct and oftentimes overlapping needs: 10-14, 14-18, 18-22 and 22-25.
Health Provider Toolkit
In addition to the formation of the Partnership for Male Youth, one of its most significant contributions to date is the release of the Health Provider Toolkit for Adolescent and Young Adult Males in 2014. The Toolkit is based upon an exhaustive literature search and needs assessment process regarding AYA male health.
The Toolkit is the first attempt to gather in one place research and information related to the unique health care needs of AYA males in nine distinct health domains, from healthy eating to immunizations. It also contains specific recommendations and resources for delivering AYA male clinical services in each of these domains. It was developed under the guidance of a multi-disciplinary panel of health care providers and researchers who are nationally known leaders in AYA male health care.
The Toolkit is intended to serve primarily as a reference document. It is the foundation upon which practical approaches to enhancing the delivery of health services to AYA males will be based. Hence, its content was specifically designed to be broad and overarching.
Since the Toolkit’s publication, a major goal of the Partnership for Male Youth is to facilitate translation of its content to practical clinical guidance for health care providers as well as information for parents, AYA males, policymakers, researchers and the public.
The Toolkit is continually updated and its format will be revised to make its content practically usable in a range of clinical setting, as discussed below.
While it contains nine health domains, the content of the Toolkit can be organized into six major subsets:
These six major subsets are often co-morbid with the others. For example, mental health can affect sexual and reproductive health behaviors, as can substance abuse. Therefore, it is not possible to realistically address each of them in total isolation from each other.
As evidenced by the research and the recommendations of a number of health-related organizations, adolescent and young adult (AYA) males between the ages of 10 and 25 have health care needs that are unique to their gender. At the same time, AYA males typically do not seek out or receive health care services. While there are a number of venues where AYA male health services could be provided, health care providers in these venues are not well equipped to interact with AYA males. Even if they desire to provide services to AYA males, providers do not have ready access to information or training about how to do so. Furthermore, even venues that do provide health care to AYA males, such as family planning clinics providing STD services, are not typically male-friendly, and are often viewed by adolescent males as places where females go for services. Finally, all venues that provide health care services to adolescents are challenged by reimbursement policies; this is particularly the case for AYA males.
The Partnership for Male Youth was formed to address these issues. We represent the first time that major health organizations have joined together to specifically address the health care needs of AYA males.
The Partnership’s mission is to work with and on behalf of adolescent and young adult males to optimize their health and ensure that they thrive.
The mission of the Partnership is accomplished through eight principle endeavors:
- Identifying and addressing the unmet health needs of AYA males through evidence-based approaches;
- Improving public awareness and advocacy for the health needs of AYA males;
- Building on promising and successful models to address the needs of AYA males;
- Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships in synergistic efforts to advance AYA male health;
- Developing resources for stakeholders and individuals working with AYA males;
- Engaging AYA males in advancing their own health and wellbeing;
- Addressing the underlying social determinants of health for AYA males; and
- Promoting health equity for AYA males by building on their strengths.
Many other organizations address adolescent health issues either in non-sex specific ways, or, if they do address adolescent health issues in a sex-specific way, only in terms of females. What makes the work of the Partnership for Male Youth distinct from and of added value to these efforts is the fact that it focuses on the health care needs of AYA males that are both unique to their sex and unmet.
There are at least six major audiences for information about AYA male health: health care providers, parents, AYA males, policymakers, researchers and the public. Furthermore, while the term AYA males is used to define males ages 10 to 25, within this range there are four main AYA male age groups, each of which have distinct and oftentimes overlapping needs: 10-14, 14-18, 18-22 and 22-25.
Health Provider Toolkit
In addition to the formation of the Partnership for Male Youth, one of its most significant contributions to date is the release of the Health Provider Toolkit for Adolescent and Young Adult Males in 2014. The Toolkit is based upon an exhaustive literature search and needs assessment process regarding AYA male health.
The Toolkit is the first attempt to gather in one place research and information related to the unique health care needs of AYA males in nine distinct health domains, from healthy eating to immunizations. It also contains specific recommendations and resources for delivering AYA male clinical services in each of these domains. It was developed under the guidance of a multi-disciplinary panel of health care providers and researchers who are nationally known leaders in AYA male health care.
The Toolkit is intended to serve primarily as a reference document. It is the foundation upon which practical approaches to enhancing the delivery of health services to AYA males will be based. Hence, its content was specifically designed to be broad and overarching.
Since the Toolkit’s publication, a major goal of the Partnership for Male Youth is to facilitate translation of its content to practical clinical guidance for health care providers as well as information for parents, AYA males, policymakers, researchers and the public.
The Toolkit is continually updated and its format will be revised to make its content practically usable in a range of clinical setting, as discussed below.
While it contains nine health domains, the content of the Toolkit can be organized into six major subsets:
- Healthy eating/physical activity
- Sexual and reproductive health
- Mental health
- Substance abuse, injuries and violence
- Infectious disease
- The physical examination
These six major subsets are often co-morbid with the others. For example, mental health can affect sexual and reproductive health behaviors, as can substance abuse. Therefore, it is not possible to realistically address each of them in total isolation from each other.
Accomplishments: 2012-2016
In addition to the above, the Partnership for Male Youth’s accomplishments through 2016 included the following:
Since 2014, the Partnership for Male Youth has sponsored accredited educational sessions at a number of national health conferences. These sessions cover both subjects contained in the Toolkit as well as the Young Male Well Visit project, discussed below.
In future years live and web-based continuing education presentations on a range of topics are planned. Parallel and derivative products and tools could be developed for use in the clinical setting by different clinical disciplines and specialties. This work can also help spawn scientific literature and popular media in the form of papers, articles and editorials.
- Creation of a communications network consisting of over 2,500 individuals and organizations
- Launch and continual updating of various social media platforms
- Creation of a Partnership for Male Youth app
- Completion of phase one of the Young Male Well Visit project
- Publication of a weekly news update on issues pertaining to AYA male health
- Identification, coordination and engagement of a group of individuals with expertise and leadership experience in the area of AYA male health
- Recognition of the Partnership for Male Youth as the national leader in AYA male health
Since 2014, the Partnership for Male Youth has sponsored accredited educational sessions at a number of national health conferences. These sessions cover both subjects contained in the Toolkit as well as the Young Male Well Visit project, discussed below.
In future years live and web-based continuing education presentations on a range of topics are planned. Parallel and derivative products and tools could be developed for use in the clinical setting by different clinical disciplines and specialties. This work can also help spawn scientific literature and popular media in the form of papers, articles and editorials.
The Young Male Well Visit Project: 2015
The Toolkit is the inspiration for the Young Male Well Visit project, launched in 2015. It was a collaboration among the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA), the Healthy Teen Network (HTN), the School Based Health Alliance (SBHA) and the Partnership for Male Youth.
Consistent with the framing described above, during 2015 the project was focused on males aged 12-18, health care providers in school-based and primary care settings and the subjects of healthy sexuality, the physical examination and immunizations.
The project has been funded in part with independent grants from Merck that were awarded to ASHA, HTN and SBHA. ASHA activities focused on provider, parent and AYA male education. HTN activities focused on education and training for health educators. SBHA activities focused on the development of “best practices” for AYA male health care within the school-based clinic setting. The role of the Partnership for Male Youth is to coordinate those three efforts.
Beginning in August, 2015, National Immunization Month, the Young Male Well Visit project has released a range of materials and resources, including:
Activities undertaken in 2015 constituted phase one of the Young Male Well Visit project. Subsequent Phases will build on phase one successes and will be broadened to focus on different age groups, different audiences and different subject areas. Some of these are discussed in the following section.
Consistent with the framing described above, during 2015 the project was focused on males aged 12-18, health care providers in school-based and primary care settings and the subjects of healthy sexuality, the physical examination and immunizations.
The project has been funded in part with independent grants from Merck that were awarded to ASHA, HTN and SBHA. ASHA activities focused on provider, parent and AYA male education. HTN activities focused on education and training for health educators. SBHA activities focused on the development of “best practices” for AYA male health care within the school-based clinic setting. The role of the Partnership for Male Youth is to coordinate those three efforts.
Beginning in August, 2015, National Immunization Month, the Young Male Well Visit project has released a range of materials and resources, including:
- Companion patient and provider tools consisting of a patient questionnaire and a parallel clinician guidance tool
- Focus testing of the draft tools among AYA males and school-based health providers
- A project website and social media platform
- Publication of an article regarding the focus testing results
Activities undertaken in 2015 constituted phase one of the Young Male Well Visit project. Subsequent Phases will build on phase one successes and will be broadened to focus on different age groups, different audiences and different subject areas. Some of these are discussed in the following section.
Follow-On Young Male Well Visit Project Concepts 2016-2020
Expansion of the Young Male Well Visit activities for 2016 and beyond includes the following activities:
Of the recommendations issued by the PSTF, the ACIP and the CDC that relate to AYA males, immunizations are the most important. Immunizations for AYA males are provided in a variety of venues beyond those targeted by the Young Male Well Visit. The immunization portion of the Young Male Well Visit project could be expanded upon by identifying venues other than school-based settings, strengthening their work delivering vaccines to young males and building models for piloting these services in other venues. This work can be built upon and coordinated with ongoing work of the CDC as well as with NIH-funded researchers who are engaged in social marketing research and campaigns to increase acceptance and use of adolescent immunizations among parents and providers.
- Replication of the 2015 clinical tools for providers and various segments of the AYA population
- An online knowledge base containing the latest research and recommendations that pertain to subjects covered by the Young Male Well Visit
- Other provider clinical tools, “best practices” and an online tutorial for conducting the Young Male Well Visit
- Continuing education curricula on the Young Male Well Visit
- Parallel parent educational materials
- Parallel tools to educate and engage AYA males in their own health care
Of the recommendations issued by the PSTF, the ACIP and the CDC that relate to AYA males, immunizations are the most important. Immunizations for AYA males are provided in a variety of venues beyond those targeted by the Young Male Well Visit. The immunization portion of the Young Male Well Visit project could be expanded upon by identifying venues other than school-based settings, strengthening their work delivering vaccines to young males and building models for piloting these services in other venues. This work can be built upon and coordinated with ongoing work of the CDC as well as with NIH-funded researchers who are engaged in social marketing research and campaigns to increase acceptance and use of adolescent immunizations among parents and providers.
Priority Areas of Focus: 2016-2020
OUTREACH
RESEARCH
ENGAGING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
- Expanding the Partnership: The membership of the Partnership will be expanded to reach those who interact with AYA males in a health context. These would include, for example, emergency physicians, college health providers, coaches and state health directors. During 2016–2020, the Partnership for Male Youth will be reaching out to these constituencies to obtain their perspective on and engage them in our work.
- Expanding Audiences for Information About AYA Male Health: As mentioned above, other important audiences for messages about AYA male health are the public, policymakers and the media. Effective social media initiatives undertaken in 2015 and 2016 can be continued in subsequent years and serve as the foundation for new social media approaches. Projects that would engage the public, policymakers and the media would include articles for popular media, participation in men’s health fairs and other venues and initiation of outreach to the legislative and executive branches.
- Engaging AYA Males: The Partnership for Male Youth is currently composing a core group of AYA males that will design focus groups of other AYA males to identify levels of knowledge and tools to engage AYA males in their own health care. Plans are also being developed to sponsor health fairs for AYA males in a variety of settings, including as a subset of existing men’s health fairs.
RESEARCH
- Cataloging Information and Research Related to Existing Venues that Provide AYA Male Health Services: While the Toolkit contains the most comprehensive body of information about AYA male health, it does not contain information about existing venues that deliver health care to AYA males. Examples of these venues are school and community-based health clinics, emergency rooms, places where sports physicals are performed, family planning as well as STD clinics. More detailed information on these and other venues can be collected and analyzed through research and surveys of partner organizations.
- Surveying Health Care Providers in Those Venues to Determine Successes, Barriers and Resource Needs for Engaging AYA Males: This is a follow-on to the cataloging described above and will include analyses of successes, barriers and resource needs that can form the basis for the development of training and clinical practice tools, including accredited offerings. Based on the preceding research, models for delivery could be developed and piloted in other venues.
- Identifying Existing and Potential Reimbursement Mechanisms: One of the most significant challenges to an expansion of AYA male health care is reimbursement. With that said, because the ACA mandates that young males enroll in health insurance plans and because the ACA also allows young males to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26, reimbursement for certain preventive services, including immunizations, will no longer be a barrier for these young males. The Partnership for Male Youth will explore how the ACA can serve as a model for other reimbursement mechanisms and strategies.
ENGAGING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
- National Summit on AYA Male Health: One of the Partnership for Male Youth's most important projects during 2016-2018 was to sponsor the 2018 National Summit on Adolescent and Young Adult Male Health, discussed below. The purpose of the conference was to help forge an agenda for advancing the state of AYA male health.
- CME: Opportunities for CME will emerge from many of the Partnership for Male Youth's activities throughout the 2016–2020 period. These are discussed in more detail below.
Activity Clusters: 2016-2020
Research Expansion, Coalition Building and Continuation of Activities related to The Young Male Well Visit Project
The objective of this cluster of activities is to build on the work and successes during the 2014–2018 period by expanding existing efforts and initiating new ones.
Specific Activities
The objective of this cluster of activities is to build on the work and successes during the 2014–2018 period by expanding existing efforts and initiating new ones.
Specific Activities
- Updating the Health Provider Toolkit for Adolescent and Young Adult Males
- Creating a condensed online and print version of the Toolkit
- Cataloging and creating an online library of existing “young male content” information and educational materials from other organizations
- Creating and launching social media efforts to promote awareness of the above
- Expanding Partner organizations to engage organizations that represent health care providers/educators in areas such as:
- Adolescent medicine
- Emergency medicine
- College health
- Pharmacy
- Nursing
- Social work
- Creating and launching social media and other efforts to enhance cross-partner information exchange and collaboration
- Adapting the Patient Self-Assessment Tool designed for males ages 14-18 for males ages 10-14 and 18-22
- Hyperlinking the Clinicians Guide to an online clinical knowledge base that explores covered subjects in more detail
- Developing an app for the Patient Self-Assessment Tool
- Hyperlinking the Patient Self-Assessment Tool to an online knowledge base that explores covered subjects in more detail
- Expanding social media and other efforts to publicize the availability of the Patient Self-Assessment Tool and Clinician’s Guide
- Developing continuing education curricula on the Young Male Well Visit and the Clinician’s Guide
Healthy Young Male Project: Health and Immunization Awareness Campaign
Objectives
Specific Activities
- Explore knowledge and attitudes of males ages 18-22 regarding their health and access to health care, using the subject of immunizations as a spearhead for opening discussions with them about broader health topics
- Identify and create ways to educate males this age about the importance of immunizations, completion of immunization series and other measures they can take to improve their health, emphasizing peer education and support
- Explore avenues of access to immunizations and health care for males this age, and encourage their use and availability
- Develop and provide continuing education measures for health care providers who interact with males this age
Specific Activities
- Focus grouping of males 18-22
- Creation of a national peer network of males 18-22 to communicate and advocate about immunizations and other health issues
- Creation of a male youth advisory board for the overall project
- Creation of a peer-developed plan for the national Campaign
- Creation of social media efforts to promote the Campaign
- Creation of innovative mechanisms to track and monitor immunizations
- Creation of an online knowledge base of subjects covered by the Campaign, for young males and providers
- Creation of an online knowledge base of existing CME offerings and materials pertaining to immunizations
- Creation of accredited and non-accredited CME offerings and materials
- Creation of Campaign materials and communications vehicles
2018 and 2020 National Summits on AYA Male Health
On June 7 and 8, 2018 over 100 national leaders from a range of interests and disciplines met in Washington, DC to participate in the National Summit on Adolescent and Young Adult Male Health. The summit was held to begin laying the groundwork for the Campaign for Male Youth. This marked the first time that stakeholders from disparate interests and disciplines convened in a national forum to discuss how they can work together, specifically through the Campaign for Male Youth, to ensure that young males thrive physically, mentally and in their life goals.
Young males were an integral part of the summit, participating in both panel presentations and workgroup sessions. As one participant described their presence: “The experts brought the science to the conversation; the young men brought the heart.”
Designed as a working event, the goal was to end it with a work product that could serve as the foundation for the collaboration. After two days of energetic discussions, that goal was met with enthusiastic support for collaborative action by the participating organizations as well as the youth.
The need for collaboration the address the health related needs of AYA males involves far more than the health care system. The social determinants of health impact AYA males in ways that are often unique to their gender and contribute to health inequity. These determinants include income and social status, social support networks, education, employment/working conditions, social environments, physical environments, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, gender and culture. Caregivers and advocates within these realms are often disconnected from those within the health care system. All stakeholders in young male health need to better understand the connection between these social determinants of health and health outcomes.
PMY is engaging these stakeholders in a collaborative effort to address the social determinants of health for young males. The purpose of the June summit was to begin the necessary cross-dialogue to make that happen.
The 2018 Summit
The summit was structured with four keynotes and four plenary panel presentations. The panel presentations were each followed by workgroup sessions of eight participants apiece. Each workgroup included a male youth and individuals were assigned to ensure stakeholder diversity. These groups were charged with making recommendations for collaborative efforts based on the subjects of the plenary panel sessions. At the conclusion of the two-day meeting, each workgroup presented their recommendations to the entire body of participants. Comments during the event and in a follow-up survey were uniformly positive, in terms of both the content and the event format.
The 2020 Summit
The purpose of the 2020 summit is to build upon the 2018 summit by identifying specific initiatives that participating organizations can take to address the physical and mental health needs of AYA male youth.
The general goal of the 2020 summit is to raise awareness and foster collaborations among stakeholders in AYA male health. One of the specific goals is to develop a focused and realistic list of three to five collaborative actions among small groups of stakeholders that can be undertaken to continue addressing AYA male youth physical and mental health disparities.
2020 Summit Planning
Summit planning began in 2019. Throughout the year PMY worked with its board and national health leaders to frame both the goals of the 2020 summit and a draft agenda for it. On February 20, 2020 PMY sponsored an expanded one-day planning session in Washington, DC. In attendance were over 36 individuals representing federal government agencies and national health related organizations Participants deemed the meeting a success, ending in commitments from many in attendance to participate in summit planning.
2020 Summit Outcomes
The principal outcome of the 2020 summit will be the outline of a collaborative action agenda, including commitments by participants to work on its behalf.
Young males were an integral part of the summit, participating in both panel presentations and workgroup sessions. As one participant described their presence: “The experts brought the science to the conversation; the young men brought the heart.”
Designed as a working event, the goal was to end it with a work product that could serve as the foundation for the collaboration. After two days of energetic discussions, that goal was met with enthusiastic support for collaborative action by the participating organizations as well as the youth.
The need for collaboration the address the health related needs of AYA males involves far more than the health care system. The social determinants of health impact AYA males in ways that are often unique to their gender and contribute to health inequity. These determinants include income and social status, social support networks, education, employment/working conditions, social environments, physical environments, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, gender and culture. Caregivers and advocates within these realms are often disconnected from those within the health care system. All stakeholders in young male health need to better understand the connection between these social determinants of health and health outcomes.
PMY is engaging these stakeholders in a collaborative effort to address the social determinants of health for young males. The purpose of the June summit was to begin the necessary cross-dialogue to make that happen.
The 2018 Summit
The summit was structured with four keynotes and four plenary panel presentations. The panel presentations were each followed by workgroup sessions of eight participants apiece. Each workgroup included a male youth and individuals were assigned to ensure stakeholder diversity. These groups were charged with making recommendations for collaborative efforts based on the subjects of the plenary panel sessions. At the conclusion of the two-day meeting, each workgroup presented their recommendations to the entire body of participants. Comments during the event and in a follow-up survey were uniformly positive, in terms of both the content and the event format.
The 2020 Summit
The purpose of the 2020 summit is to build upon the 2018 summit by identifying specific initiatives that participating organizations can take to address the physical and mental health needs of AYA male youth.
The general goal of the 2020 summit is to raise awareness and foster collaborations among stakeholders in AYA male health. One of the specific goals is to develop a focused and realistic list of three to five collaborative actions among small groups of stakeholders that can be undertaken to continue addressing AYA male youth physical and mental health disparities.
2020 Summit Planning
Summit planning began in 2019. Throughout the year PMY worked with its board and national health leaders to frame both the goals of the 2020 summit and a draft agenda for it. On February 20, 2020 PMY sponsored an expanded one-day planning session in Washington, DC. In attendance were over 36 individuals representing federal government agencies and national health related organizations Participants deemed the meeting a success, ending in commitments from many in attendance to participate in summit planning.
2020 Summit Outcomes
The principal outcome of the 2020 summit will be the outline of a collaborative action agenda, including commitments by participants to work on its behalf.