National Men's Health Week was first held in June 2002 and since then has grown in size and impact, firmly establishing itself as a key part of the public health improvement calendar. One in three people in the UK is currently living with a long-term medical condition and a significant proportion of this number will be men. However, men are increasingly unlikely to visit a doctor or engage with other health services and health promotion campaigns often fail to take into account of the need for 'gender-sensitivity' in reaching male audiences. Men are affected by a wide broad range of long-term conditions e.g.

• Cardiovascular disease is the second most common problem. Over 1.5 million men living in the UK are estimated to have had either angina or a heart attack.
• Over 4% of men have diagnosed diabetes but an estimated additional 3% of men aged 35 and over have undiagnosed diabetes.
• Over 40,000 males in the |UK are diagnosed each year with prostate cancer, many of whom live with it for many years with or without treatment.
• Many men live with long-term mental health problems such as anxiety or depression

The Men's Health Forum will address these issues through NMHW 2007 with a view to developing effective ways to reach men with long-term medical conditions and to increase men's capacity for self care.

Utilise the expertise of SOSUK and its products to promote Men’s Health Week in Devon and evaluate by use of web statistics.

One hundred units of underwear and 3000 lids with a unique design directing users to a web page were purchased. SOS UK created an information page with NHS facilities, details of the project and links to NHS Direct, GUM clinics and other services offered by Devon PCT. A proportion of products were distributed to appropriate agencies and partners. The remainder were targeted by the use of SOS UK models at social events in Exeter and recorded by means of a photographer.

SOS UK recorded significant interest in the web page. During Men’s Health week and through the analysis parameters they received over 20,000 hits all of which by definition were new visitors. This allowed access to current information and NHS sources. The company retained the page, which is still in situ, and have recorded continued and sustained access, although not maintained at such high levels are producing 50 - 100 new visitors per week. It is clear that the use of the products has provided a valuable resource directly influencing the community creating awareness to resources that they would otherwise been unaware of.