“It’s OK to Feel and Ask for Help”: Wes Streeting Urges Cultural Shift in Men’s Health Strategy

Health Secretary Wes Streeting says that young men must be taught from an early age that it’s OK to feel, to hurt, and to ask for help, as part of a national push to tackle stark gender-based health inequalities.

In an exclusive comment to Metro, Streeting linked emotional repression to broader public health concerns, citing the Netflix drama Adolescence as a powerful exploration of toxic masculinity, emotional suppression, and the roots of gender-based violence.

📉 Currently, men in England live on average four years less than women – a gap the government aims to close with its first Men’s Health Strategy, now open for public evidence submissions.

🩺 The Health Secretary noted that men are disproportionately affected by:

Cancer

Cardiovascular disease

Type 2 diabetes

But many of these illnesses, he said, are preventable or treatable if detected early – something that relies on changing attitudes and improving services men will actually use.

🗣️ “When men are encouraged to open up, their health is more likely to thrive,” said Streeting. “We want a system where asking for help is seen as strength, not weakness.”

📢 The 12-week Call for Evidence is open now and welcomes input from the public, health professionals, and employers.