Men’s Health Is More Than the Absence of Illness By: Dr. Leandro A. Mena, MD
Posted: June 15, 2026
As a Latino and Dominican man, and even as a physician, I understand how easy it can be for men to postpone taking care of their health.
For many years, I thought of myself as healthy. I felt well, remained active, and had access to healthcare. Yet I often avoided going to the doctor for routine care. Like many men, I tended to view healthcare as something you sought when something was clearly wrong, rather than as an important part of staying well.
Over time, I came to understand that feeling healthy is not always the same as being healthy. Many conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections, may not cause symptoms at first. Routine health evaluations allow us to identify concerns early, understand our risks, and make informed decisions before a problem becomes more serious.
Just as important, I learned the value of developing a relationship with a healthcare professional who made me feel welcomed, comfortable, and respected. Trust matters. It is much easier to discuss our physical health, sexual health, emotional well-being, and personal concerns when we feel that we are being heard rather than judged.
For Latino men and other men from communities that have historically experienced barriers to care, finding that sense of trust and belonging can be especially important. Cultural expectations may teach us to be strong, self-reliant, and reluctant to acknowledge vulnerability. Work, family responsibilities, cost, language, immigration concerns, stigma, and previous negative experiences with healthcare can also cause men to delay care.
But taking care of ourselves is not a sign of weakness. It is an act of strength, responsibility, and love for ourselves and for the people who depend on us.
Whole-person health means looking beyond a single diagnosis or laboratory result. It includes our physical health, mental and emotional well-being, sexual health, relationships, sense of purpose, financial stability, housing, nutrition, and connection to community. These parts of our lives are deeply interconnected.
- During Men’s Health Week, I encourage men to take a few practical steps:
- Establish a relationship with a healthcare professional. Do not wait until you are sick. Find someone with whom you feel comfortable and can communicate honestly.
- Schedule routine preventive care. Ask which screenings, vaccinations, and laboratory tests are appropriate for your age, medical history, family history, and individual risks.
- Know your numbers. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, and other health measures can provide important information even when you feel well.
- Make sexual health part of routine health. HIV and STI testing, condoms, PrEP, doxy-PEP when appropriate, vaccinations, and open conversations about sexual health should be normal parts of healthcare, not sources of shame.
- Pay attention to your mental health. Stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and substance use can affect every aspect of our lives. Seeking support is part of taking care of ourselves.
- Speak honestly with your healthcare professional. The information you may feel most hesitant to share is often the information that helps your clinician provide the best care.
Healthcare organizations also have a responsibility. We cannot simply tell men to seek care without creating environments in which they feel welcomed, represented, respected, and safe. Care must be culturally responsive, accessible, affirming, and attentive to the realities of people’s lives.
This whole-person approach will be an important part of the conversation at the 2026 United States Conference on HIV/AIDS. USCHA brings together community members, advocates, clinicians, researchers, public health professionals, and people with lived experience to address not only HIV, but also the broader conditions that shape health and well-being.
Men’s health cannot be separated from sexual health, mental health, access to care, or social and economic opportunity. By creating trusted relationships and systems of care that see the whole person, we can help more men move from avoiding healthcare to actively protecting their health.
I had to learn that lesson myself. My hope during Men’s Health Week is that more men will give themselves permission to seek care, ask questions, and build a relationship with a healthcare professional before a crisis occurs. You do not have to feel sick to take your health seriously