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H.B. 681 VETOES
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Preamble
WHEREAS, There is a silent health crisis affecting the health and well-being of
Maryland men; and
WHEREAS, This health crisis is of particular concern to men, but is also a
concern for women, as the crisis affects fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers; and
WHEREAS, Men's health is likewise a concern for employers, who lose
productive employees as well as pay the costs of medical care, and for State
government and society, which absorb the enormous costs of premature death and
disability, including the costs of caring for dependents left without income; and
WHEREAS, The life expectancy for a child born in Maryland in 2001 was 73.9
years for males versus 79.1 years for females; and
WHEREAS, The 2001 Maryland death rate of 819.9 per 100,000 population for
men exceeded the death rate of 802.4 per 100,000 population for women; and
WHEREAS, In Maryland, only 22% of the deaths to women in 2001 occurred
before age 65, men younger than 65 accounted for 36% of all deaths to men in that
year; and
WHEREAS, Men comprised 60% of new HIV cases in 2001 in Maryland and 67%
of new AIDS cases in the same year; and
WHEREAS, Men are reported to be 25% less likely than women to visit a doctor;
and
WHEREAS, Employment-based health insurance, which has traditionally
financed much of the health care received by men, is on the decline, and recent
Medicaid and other publicly-financed health care expansions have focused primarily
on children and women; and
WHEREAS, Educating men, their families, and health care providers about the
importance of early detection of men's health problems can result in reducing rates of
mortality for male-specific diseases, as well as improve the health of Maryland men
and the State's overall economic well-being; and
WHEREAS, Regular exercise, good nutrition, healthy behaviors, regular
medical checkups, preventive health screenings, and diagnostic tests that detect
disease early have been proven to save lives; and
WHEREAS, A Commission for Men Men's Health is needed to promote men's
health in Maryland; now, therefore,
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
ARTICLE 49E - MARYLAND COMMISSION FOR MEN
Article - Health - General
- 3700 -
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