Costa Rica’s Citizen Action Party pitches men’s health day

In an apparent attempt to create gender equilibrium, a day after International Women’s Day, the Citizen Action Party (PAC) proposed a bill in Legislative Assembly to create a national men’s health day, on June 1 of each year.

According to PAC, a national men’s health day would raise awareness and promote healthy practices, particularly among young adults and teenagers. The proposal said its proponents hope to plant the seeds of preventive health care measures early, so that when young men reach adulthood they’ll have already established healthy practices.

The statement says that a national health education program is lacking, and like women, Costa Rican men do not generally adopt preventive health care practices that would help deter potential health risks. Instead, many men wait until pain is substantial to seek treatment.

“The national men’s health day wouldn’t be implemented to contradict or counter the women’s day, but would be used to educate men about the new paradigms of equality,” said PAC legislator Carmen Granados. “Unfortunately, men only go to the doctor when an illness is in its later stages and is already threatening to cause a permanent disability or death.”

The statement released by PAC concluded by saying that by creating a men’s health day, male’s health awareness would be improved and thus result in longer, healthier lives.