Five research topics that address men-related issues

When Movember comes around every year, men around the world channel their inner Tom Selleck and show off mustaches all over social media. But behind this viral trend lies a movement dedicated to an often overlooked issue: men's health.

On average, men have a shorter life expectancy than women – a gap that begins at birth and widens with age. This inequality is not just biological; Men are more likely to suffer from smoking, alcohol and substance use. They are also less likely to schedule regular checkups, which can delay important diagnoses for conditions like prostate cancer. Prostate cancer alone accounts for nearly 15% of all new cancer cases in the United States.

Men’s mental health is equally important. While emotional challenges are universal, societal expectations of masculinity often discourage men from seeking help, potentially leaving many mental health issues unaddressed.

To support the ongoing conversation about men's health, we highlight five research topics on men's reproductive health, advances in prostate cancer detection and treatment, and more.

All articles are freely available to view and download.

25,000 views | 10 items

This Research Topic provides insights into how novel environmental, lifestyle and psychological factors contribute to male reproductive harm and the mechanisms involved.

The continuous decline in semen quality observed over the past decades has caused concern worldwide. Although traditional environmental pollutants have been extensively studied, they explain only a small portion of reproductive harm.

Emerging factors – such as new environmental pressures (e.g. microplastics, flame retardants, substitutes for traditional toxins and biological pollutants such as COVID-19), lifestyle habits (e.g. social jet lag, nighttime light exposure, specific nutrient intake) and psychological stresses (e.g. B. negative life events, anxiety, depression) – remain insufficiently researched.

It is critical to understand how these novel factors impact male reproductive health, including endocrine disruption, sperm damage, subfertility, and infertility.

View research topic

29,000 views | 16 items

This research topic focuses on gender differences in morbidity, mortality and economic productivity losses. Gender refers to the roles, attributes, behaviors and opportunities associated with being male, female or non-binary.

Research examines the determinants of these differences, which may include social status, health behaviors, caregiving responsibilities, educational and occupational status, and health system responses. The key idea is that gender is an important social determinant that shapes health behavior, exposure and vulnerability, while influencing health system response. Furthermore, it overlaps with other social determinants such as socioeconomic status and physical ability.

The risk factors for chronic diseases vary between men and women. By examining and tracking trends in exposure to risk factors and access to health services, this research provides valuable insights into the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.

View research topic

29,900 views | 15 items

The aim of this Research Topic is to explore the clinical features of prostate cancer – particularly deadly forms such as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and neuroendocrine prostate cancer – and to uncover new mechanisms that drive its development and progression.

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy remains the first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, but also increases the incidence of castration-resistant prostate cancer. More potent inhibitors of the androgen receptor pathway have shown significant improvements in the treatment of these advanced stages of the disease.

View research topic

23,000 views | 10 items

This Research Topic examines the role of contemporary fathers as co-parents in various contexts. Significant societal changes in recent decades have demonstrated that mother-centered models of parenting research do not fully capture fathers' involvement as caregivers and co-parents.

Recent studies suggest that fathers have a significant direct and indirect influence on child development and the quality of partner relationships through co-parenting – the way parents work together (or against each other) in caring for their children.

While much of the co-parenting literature focuses on gender differences in the roles and involvement of same-sex co-parents, the role of fathers in co-parenting is now being examined with fathers as active research participants in broader, more reflective contexts Families and real-world experiences, including fathers of multiple children, families in transition, and families from diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.

View research topic

22,600 views | 12 items

This Research Topic provides an open discussion on the influence of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Early detection of prostate cancer is crucial because the disease can be highly metastatic, leading to lower survival rates. Early detection improves the prognosis of patients and enables timely treatment. Over the years, diagnostic tools for prostate cancer have evolved, including transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy and histopathology prior to radical prostatectomy. However, biopsies are invasive and studies have shown that they can lead to underdiagnosis in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

View research topic