PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Men face distinctive health-related challenges as a result of biological, behavioral, and sociocultural factors. In addition, the modern healthcare system does not offer men equal opportunities and options to ensure sex-specific access and delivery to health services. Men's health concerns are, indeed, often not addressed or even forgotten. In this review, we wanted to assess the impact of biology and sociocultural effects on sex-specific life-expectancy. RECENT FINDINGS: Globally, men have a shorter life expectancy than women. With a 5.8 years gender gap in the USA and 5.4 in the EU-27 (both in 2022). Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and accidents continue to represent the primary causes of mortality for both genders with all having disproportional preponderance in men. In recent years, there has been a notable decline in age-adjusted mortality rates related to cancer, while there has been an increase in deaths from accidental and intentional self-harm. Moreover, in the United States, men are more likely than women to develop and die from nonsex-specific cancers. As a result, men's poor health affects productivity, absenteeism, and employment. SUMMARY: The status of men in healthcare is complex. It is rooted in history, culture, and institutions. To address disparities, we need a comprehensive approach that includes policy reforms, sociocultural changes, and a fair and equitable public discourse. Grassroots and top-down strategies are needed to ensure a value-based societal healthcare system acknowledging the unique health needs of men.

2nd Department of Urology Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education Warsaw Poland

Department of Urology 2nd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czechia

Department of Urology Comprehensive Cancer Center Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria

Department of Urology Semmelweis University Budapest Hungary

Department of Urology University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf Hamburg Germany

Department of Urology University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas Texas

Department of Urology Weill Cornell Medical College New York New York USA

Division of Surgery and Interventional Science University College London London UK

Division of Urology Department of Special Surgery The University of Jordan Amman Jordan

Institute for Urology and Reproductive Health Sechenov University Moscow Russia

Karl Landsteiner Institute of Urology and Andrology Vienna Austria

Research Center for Evidence Medicine Urology Department Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran

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