Why isn't there's a Men's Health NP specialty

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm interested in eventually becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I've noticed that men's health does not seem to be covered in the specialty areas of Nurse Practitioners. Has anyone ever wondered why that is?

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I'm interested in eventually becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I've noticed that men's health does not seem to be covered in the specialty areas of Nurse Practitioners. Has anyone ever wondered why that is?

hmm... you mean like prostate stuff?

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Well, I figure men must have illnesses that are specific to them. We focus a lot of illnesses that effect women but other than prostate cancer I never hear about dangers to men's health. It can't just be prostate cancer, right?

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At my hospital our Urologist has a female NP. Is this what you mean?

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At my hospital our Urologist has a female NP. Is this what you mean?

No, not really. I'm not interested in Men's Health or anything like that. I just think it is interesting that there are NP specialties for just about everything else. But really it isn't an NP specific thing. I've never seen a "Men's Health Clinic" or a "Men's Health Fair." I just thought that was odd and wondered if anyone else had thought about it. Is it that we expect men to take care of themselves, men's issues are usually mainstream anyway so no need to specialize, men are less likely to go to the doctor, whatever. I just thought it was curious.

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No, not really. I'm not interested in Men's Health or anything like that. I just think it is interesting that there are NP specialties for just about everything else. But really it isn't an NP specific thing. I've never seen a "Men's Health Clinic" or a "Men's Health Fair." I just thought that was odd and wondered if anyone else had thought about it. Is it that we expect men to take care of themselves, men's issues are usually mainstream anyway so no need to specialize, men are less likely to go to the doctor, whatever. I just thought it was curious.

Well, I would venture to guess that it's not profitable (unless it's a specialty like urology) to specialize in Men's Health when you can lump that with Family Practice. Obstetrics/Gynecology on the other hand, there's more meat there. Women need care for paps, birth control, pregnancy care, birth, menopause, lady partsl dryness, BV...

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

Most healthcare in general is geared toward men; particularly the research. It's only been the last 20 years or so that healthcare has begun to realize that women aren't just smaller men and that their care needs to be individualized. They just came out recently (within the last year of so) with an artificial knee based on a woman's a&p. For years they wondered why womens outcomes weren't up there with mens. Hopefully, that can bridge the gap. Look how long and how many fatalities it took them to realize that womens MI's don't present the same way as the "classic" aka mens MI's do.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is no Men's Health specialty, because the healthcare system pretty much has the men covered. Until healthcare is able to encompass women in their general plans, there will be a need for a womens health specialty.

I also think womens health specialty is thriving from a dollars and cents standpoint. Which gender is the bigger healthcare spender? It's not the men.

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Well if it was up to my husband to go to the doctor without me he'd never go...haha.

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Specializes in ER, Family Practice, Free Clinics.

BECAUSE MEN DON'T GO TO THE DOCTOR! hahahah.

sorry. its late and I'm feeling slap happy. i didn't mean to belittle your question. i wish men would seek more primary healthcare. i use a drink holder at work that says "duct tape doesn't fix everything" on one side and "men's health" on the other. :-) maybe you've found your unique niche.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

OP, no offense intended, but how old are you? As NurseyBaby05 stated, medicine has been geared toward men for some time. Only in recent years has more research been conducted specifically on women. It had historically been assumed that what held true for the male body also applied to the female body. Many illnesses were not recognized as true disease, but rather, "hysteria", meaning neurotic conditions specific to females rather than real medical problems.

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Many illnesses were not recognized as true disease, but rather, "hysteria", meaning neurotic conditions specific to females rather than real medical problems.

So the aptly named hysterectomy was the procedure originally intended to "cure" this hysteria, I guess. :stone

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Recently the "Today" show featured Dr. Marianne Legato- author of "Why Men Die First". The book focuses on Health issues that relate specifically to men. It was a rather interesting spotlight. Check it out.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24723917#25620759

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