BlogWonks

Men die 5.2 years younger than women, and die earlier of all the leading causes of death. For example, before age 65, twice as many men die of heart disease than do women. 

Yet, where are the ribbons for early heart attack? The only campaign I’ve seen is the American Heart Association’s ‘Wear Red” campaign to increase awareness of heart disease in women.

And for years, we certainly see ever more pink ribbons against breast cancer.  For example, today, I walked into Safeway whereupon I was immediately enveloped in breast cancer activism (and my photos don’t begin to capture how it dominated the store): 

• I entered the store under a canopy of pink breast cancer signs. 
• Underneath the canopy sits a giant sign bearing an enormous pink ribbon that touts that Safeway and General Foods are fighting breast cancer. 
• Underneath are free-standing displays of Kraft and Nabisco products, most of which have been repackaged to look like pink breast cancer signs, with a notice saying that part of the profits from the sale of those items will go to breast cancer.  
• Nearby hangs another prominent sign listing other corporations that are donating to fight breast cancer. 
• Next to that is a table pitching for breast cancer donations and giving free drinks to all who donate. 
• Throughout the store, countless products have been repackaged to look like breast cancer posters, with signs saying that if the item is purchased, a donation will be made to fight breast cancer. 
• Every minute or so, an announcement is heard on the loudspeaker: “Another shopper on checkstand X has made another generous donation of Y dollars to fight breast cancer.”
• When I reached the checkstand, I saw that the credit card swipe machine is framed in a pink breast cancer sign. 
• The clerk then asked me, “Would I like to donate to breast cancer?” I said, “Did you know that every year, 100,000 more men than women die early of heart disease, and yet have you ever seen Safeway or anyone else mount a campaign against that?” She said, “I never thought about that.” 

At that point, I decided to write this article and send it to Safeway’s president Steven Burd: steve.burd@safeway.com. I’m not influential enough to spearhead a meaningful boycott of Safeway, but if I were, I would. 

I am aware that Safeway has made tiny efforts against prostate cancer, but they and other corporations’ efforts are trivial compared with their efforts against breast cancer.  And I’ve seen no corporation do anything to address early heart attack.

Of course, I want to see breast cancer cured, as quickly as possible. But the nearly complete ignoring of men dying younger makes me feel sad, and yes angry. When women have a more minor deficit, for example, so-called underrepresentation in engineering, massive redress efforts are initiated. But when men have the deficit, even the ultimate deficit– they die younger–all we see is the pink tidal wave against breast cancer grow ever larger. 

Today, no matter how many sewers men repair, no matter how many medical discoveries men make (Indeed, nearly all breast cancer treatments including the currently hot Herceptin were discovered by men,) no matter how many technical discoveries men make (for example, this blogging software, Google, computers, televisions, cell phones,) no matter how many roofs men replace, no matter how many Safeway shelves men stock, no matter how bravely men defend our nation, men are, as Dr. Warren Farrell says, the disposable sex.