Family and men's health, mental health and sexual health

I. Family and Men's Health

Numerous studies have demonstrated that men's vitality is more fragile than women's. One survey showed that "women live much longer than men at all stages of life, resulting in a higher proportion of elderly women than men." Besides physiological reasons, men's fragility is also closely related to their lifestyles. Men's health is a cause for concern. On the one hand, men face immense pressure in modern society. It's said that "men are like the ocean, capable of embracing all injustices and grievances; men are like mountains, bearing all misfortunes and hardships; men are like steel, rarely shedding tears," making men seem like "men of hardship." On the other hand, with the diversification of social life, there are too many temptations for men. Some men neglect their personal lifestyles and health, leading highly arbitrary lives, indulging in harmful consumption such as smoking, excessive drinking, and gambling. Some are homeless, staying up all night and sleeping in all morning. Others disregard their health in the face of work or life pressures, while some consider being a "man who never goes home" fashionable. These unhealthy lifestyles seriously threaten men's health. Life, after all, needs order, and the family plays an irreplaceable role in regulating a person's lifestyle. In the process of human socialization, the family bears the responsibility of guiding family members to establish correct lifestyles. Various good habits, such as daily routines and regular living habits, are cultivated within the family from childhood. The family is a group characterized by affection and friendship, with family members acting as checks and balances. Surveys show that women's lifestyles are generally healthier than men's, especially after marriage when wives try to improve their husbands' lifestyles, using preventative techniques to encourage them to quit smoking, avoid excessive drinking, and provide a more balanced diet. The various changes that have occurred in Chinese families over the past decade or so have led to the outward shift of various social functions of the family, making the family increasingly a community for people's lives and entertainment. With the development of social and cultural life, people's entertainment content and methods have gradually become richer and more diverse. The abundance of material goods means that families no longer worry about making a living; people are no longer focused on saving money but on how to consume and enjoy life. Therefore, to promote men's health, we should encourage men to value family life, return to their families, and establish healthy lifestyles.

II. Family and Men's Mental Health

Mental health is crucial for individuals. The mind is the active reflection of objective phenomena by the human brain. The brain is the organ that generates psychological activity, and psychological phenomena reflect brain activity. Due to the different influences of physiological and social environments, everyone, especially men and women, has different ways of thinking and different ideas. Ideas are the generalized images left in the human brain by objective things; they are views, thoughts, and the result of thinking activities-a form of psychological activity. A person's ideas often have a significant impact on their behavior and the results of their actions. Correct ideas can lead to the success of a process, while incorrect ideas often lead to its failure. Therefore, it is impossible to simply and rigidly change a person's ideas or transform their mindset. As mentioned above, in China during this period of social transformation, men bear many psychological pressures and challenges, and also have many misconceptions in their thinking. This psychological pressure and misconceptions sometimes affect men's health more than diseases. To address men's mental health issues, society should pay attention and carry out publicity and education activities such as "Men's Health Day," and families should also clearly emphasize the importance of men's health. As the basic organizational unit of society, the family bears the function of integrating, caring for, and nurturing family members. Furthermore, the family, a close-knit community bound by blood ties and affection, is most conducive to psychological therapy, alleviating loneliness and isolation. An Italian scholar compared the mortality rates of 100,000 people, finding that the highest mortality rate was among divorced individuals, followed by single individuals, and then married individuals. The conclusion was: "Lonely people are more likely to fall ill or die from some cause." The family is the best place to treat loneliness, change one's mindset, and establish a healthy psychology.

III. Family and Male Sexual Health

Sexual instinct exists; it is a gift from nature. However, knowledge about sexual instinct, the ability to suppress it, and the social impact of this ability require cultivation and learning. Sexual knowledge and the ability to suppress sexual instinct are crucial for men's sexual health, and the family plays a vital role in both disseminating sexual knowledge and cultivating this ability. The family initially arose to regulate sexual behavior and to ensure the birth of children of one's own blood; thus, marriage became the foundation of the family. From the emergence of the family in human society to the present day, the family has consistently played a role in regulating sexual life, reproduction, and raising offspring. Family planning is a family matter; some regions and countries refer to fertility planning as "family planning." With the development and changes in society, economy, and culture, understanding of sexual relationships between the sexes is constantly evolving in various societies. The "sexual liberation" that swept the West was also a significant wave in China's reform and opening-up, but due to the prevalence of AIDS, the increase in broken families, illegitimate children, and homeless children has become a serious social problem, forcing people to consider the importance of returning to the family and promoting sexual health. Within marriage, the regulation of sexual relations between men and women serves several purposes. First, it ensures sexual health, preventing people from contracting diseases or causing adverse social consequences through unsafe sexual behavior. Second, it enhances men's sense of responsibility towards their families and promotes interactive communication between spouses. This is also necessary for men's participation in family planning, which means working diligently with their wives to implement the family planning policy. Third, it ensures men's physical health, preventing them from bringing unhealthy factors to their families and offspring. Fourth, only men who love their wives, children, and families are truly healthy men. Currently, freedom of marriage is gradually being fully realized in my country, and sex and love are becoming increasingly unified, with love increasingly becoming the foundation of marriage. People now marry not only for family interests or economic survival but also to pursue personal happiness and fulfillment. The concept of chastity is no longer solely focused on natural physiological aspects but emphasizes its ethical value-the exclusivity and purity of affection. Therefore, men should also "maintain chastity." At the same time, families bear the responsibility of providing sex education, ensuring that every family member has correct sexual values ​​and providing puberty education for children. The family is a crucial guarantee for men's sexual health.