{"id":5281,"date":"2012-06-28T17:08:01","date_gmt":"2012-06-28T22:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlwpen.com\/?p=5281"},"modified":"2012-06-28T17:08:01","modified_gmt":"2012-06-28T22:08:01","slug":"bedside-manners-supreme-court-health-care-ruling-a-significant-but-incomplete-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/girlwpen\/2012\/06\/28\/bedside-manners-supreme-court-health-care-ruling-a-significant-but-incomplete-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"BEDSIDE MANNERS: Supreme Court Health Care Ruling — a Significant but Incomplete Victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

On this historic day, the US Supreme Court\u2019s ruling on health care is being hailed as \u201ca victory for all Americans<\/a>\u201d \u2013 but will all Americans benefit equally from the new health care law signed into law by President Barack Obama? No, not those, like Obama, who are male.<\/p>\n

\"File:Barack<\/p>\n

While I believe that the Affordable Care Act<\/a> (ACA) will improve the overall health of the nation, particularly for women and the underserved<\/a>, some health care disparities remain. June is Men\u2019s Health Month<\/a>, so I dedicate this month\u2019s column to an under-recognized inequity which seems likely to continue under the ACA: insurance coverage for men\u2019s annual sexual and reproductive health exams. While typical insurance coverage addresses annual general health exams for both male and female patients, the norm is that only female patients are offered coverage for annual gynecological exams. In addition, there is yet to be a national standard for what a men\u2019s annual sexual health exam should include, let alone a social norm for teen boys and men to seek out this type of exam. This may help explain why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that \u201cLess than half of people who should be screened receive recommended STD screening services<\/a>.\u201d<\/div>\n

The ACA\u2019s list of \u201cCovered Preventive Services for Adults<\/a>\u201d includes screenings for only two sexually transmitted infections (STIs): \u201cHIV screening for all adults at higher risk\u201d and \u201cSyphilis screening for all adults at higher risk.\u201d They do include \u201cSexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention counseling for adults at higher risk,\u201d and \u201cImmunization\u201d for the STIs Hepatitis B, Herpes and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). All sexually active boys and men are potentially at risk for contracting a wide range of STIs, including HIV: the interpretation of \u201chigher risk\u201d could keep many from receiving necessary care.<\/p>\n

If you scroll down this page, you\u2019ll find the longer list of \u201cCovered Preventive Services for Women\u201d which includes additional sexual and reproductive health care screenings related to breast cancer, cervical cancer, chlamydia, contraception, gonorrhea, plus extra screenings HIV and HPV. \u00a0This laudable list is capped off by \u201cWell-woman visits\u201d described as, \u201cpreventive care visit annually for adult women to obtain the recommended preventive services that are age and developmentally appropriate<\/a>\u2026.\u201d Why would a man not benefit from these types of services?<\/p>\n

A google search for \u201cwell-man visits\u201d turns up nothing on U.S. government websites and only one company\u2019s description of their \u201cWell Man Examination<\/a>\u201d policy: it includes only \u201cDigital rectal exam; and Screening PSA test (age 40 or older).\u201d Younger men could benefit from an examination for testicular cancer, \u201cthe most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 34<\/a>.\u201d None of these tests are mandated under the ACA.<\/p>\n

Looking again at government resources, the inequity jarring. In addition to having a website devoted to National Women\u2019s Health Week<\/a> in May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also sponsors an Office on Women\u2019s Health<\/a> website. \u00a0If you\u2019re on the homepage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and search for \u201cmen\u2019s health\u201d you will not find a men\u2019s health website. \u00a0However, their Office on Women\u2019s Health website (somewhat ironically)<\/em> features the U.S. government\u2019s only<\/span> resource webpage for men\u2019s health<\/a>, including a link to men\u2019s sexual health<\/a>. On this page, it focuses more on aging and sexual dysfunction, with only one small link to sexually transmitted infections. This \u201csexual health\u201d page seems to patronize and condescend to men, doubting their abilities to care about and seek sexual health care:<\/p>\n

\u201cSexual health is a source of concern for many men. Yet some men are not comfortable talking to their doctors about sex.\u201d And, later on, \u201cRemember that problems with sexual health are medical problems, and your doctor can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you live in King County, WA, then you might be in luck: their Public Health website features a fairly detailed description of \u201cphysical examinations for men<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0If you don\u2019t feel comfortable seeking these examinations from your regular doctor, then check out Planned Parenthood: a national organization that provides men\u2019s sexual health exams<\/a>. While I\u2019m not sure how many U.S. teen boys and men would think of Planned Parenthood clinics as their home base for sexual health care, U.S. health policymakers should look to them for guidance. Depending on the specific PP clinic, their services might include:<\/p>\n