Men’s Health Month 2025: Closing the Empathy Gap

June isn’t just another month on the calendar—it’s a wake-up call. Men’s Health Month 2025, with its timely theme “Closing the Empathy Gap,” invites us to reframe the conversation around men’s health—not as a checklist, but as a culture shift. Because health isn’t just about diagnostics and disease—it’s about dignity, dialogue, and doing the hard work of listening.

Why “Empathy” Isn’t Soft—It’s Life-Saving

For generations, boys have been taught to be “tough,” to “walk it off,” to “stay silent.” But silence is costing lives.

• Mental Health: Men are nearly 4x more likely to die by suicide than women.
• Heart Disease: The #1 killer of men—and often preventable.
• Cancer: 1 in 2 men will face cancer in their lifetime.
• Fertility: Global sperm counts have dropped by over 50% in the last four decades.

As Dr. Joel Brothers recently shared,

“The most important thing is to be aware of your risk and take proactive steps.”

Awareness is the first step—but empathy is the bridge that gets us there.

Six Steps to Close the Gap

1. Check Your Own Empathy

Ask: Am I truly listening? Not just to symptoms, but to silences. Create space for men to speak openly without judgment.

2. Break Free with Screens

Don’t wait for symptoms to show up.
Annual physicals, cholesterol checks, and PSA screenings during Men’s Health Week (June 9–15) can catch silent killers early.

“Real men get checked,” says a prostate cancer survivor.
“That’s how I got more years with my kids.”

3. Fuel the Body & Fertility

Healthy eating is not just about weight—it’s about hormones, sperm quality, energy, and cancer prevention. Think: colorful veggies, whole grains, lean proteins.

4. Move with Purpose & Social Joy

Just 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly plus 2 strength sessions can slash chronic disease risk.
Pro tip: Make it social. A gym buddy = accountability + connection.

5. Mental Health = Physical Health

Journaling. Talking to a friend. Seeing a therapist.
These aren’t luxuries—they’re life-saving tools.

Let’s normalize the question: “How are you, really?”

6. Bust Harmful Habits

Smoking, excessive drinking, and risk-taking behaviors don’t just harm the body—they compound mental health struggles too. Let’s trade bravado for balance.

Mental Health: The Silent Crisis

The empathy gap is widest here. Too many men still see mental health as a weakness—not a wound that needs healing.

• Encourage safe spaces for honest conversations.
• Share resources like the NAMI HelpLine, local support groups, and therapy options.
• Ditch the stigma—embrace strength in vulnerability.

Facts to Know, Actions to Take

Did you know?

• Only 60% of men get yearly checkups
• Just half engage in preventive care
• Black men face higher risk of prostate cancer and should start screening earlier

Action Plan:

• Schedule a general checkup
• Get screened for prostate, colon, and lung cancer
• Track mental health as actively as physical stats
• Involve your family—health is a team sport

Voices from the Field

Dr. Rohit Gosain at ASCO25:

“We’re seeing patients delay life-saving cancer treatments for social media ‘cures.’ Education, not influencers, must guide decisions.”

At ASCO 2025, oncologists like Drs. Julie Gralow, Rohit Gosain, and Rahul Gosain warned about misinformation on TikTok and other platforms — women and men are delaying proven cancer treatments for unverified “natural” remedies, often with deadly outcomes:

“Within nine months they tragically had died in some cases.” – Julie Gralow

Nikki Audia on LinkedIn:

“We teach our boys to be strong. To tough it out. To walk it off. To stay silent.
But silence is costing lives.
Men’s Health Month isn’t just about checkups—it’s about breaking stigma.”

Final Takeaway

This isn’t just about June. This is about the other 11 months when men don’t always feel heard. When they hesitate to speak. When care gets delayed—and sometimes, it’s too late.

Closing the empathy gap isn’t a campaign. It’s a call to listen, support, and act—before silence turns fatal.

From early detection to emotional support, from checkups to conversation—let’s build a future where every man feels safe to speak and supported to heal.

Happy Men’s Health Month 2025—from all of us at OncoDaily.