HealthInsite Newsletter
 IN THIS ISSUE Volume 2, Issue 8
Editorial -
Welcome to the latest issue of the HealthInsite Newsletter.
A big hello to all our regular subscribers, and to any new subscribers who have just joined us, we hope that this newsletter helps you make the best use of the many resources HealthInsite has to offer. We hope you all enjoy the new edition!
As you may recall, in last month's edition we reviewed our resources on women's health. This month we've decided to even up the gender balance and give the guys a turn, with a look at what HealthInsite has to offer for all those with a Y chromosome.
Young Boys
In case you had missed it, boys are different in many ways! Maybe you would agree with the quote from the mother of four boys who said, "Whoever invented birthday parties must have had girls." Maybe it's because I was a girl that parties for my daughters seemed less exhausting than those for my son. The quote and more information can be found on our partner site, Headroom, at:
http://www.headroom.net.au/family/index.html
However, the differences start even earlier than this. If you are interested in information on gender issues at a very early age, have a look at the links below from our Child Development topic page.
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Child_Development
Teenaged Boys
And then along come the teenaged years, with their accompanying challenges, not just for the parents but for the teenager as he steps into the beginnings of his adulthood. Your teens and pre-teens may be interested in the link below to the interactive 'Hormone Factory' on the website of one of our partners, Child and Youth Health. This site has lots of interesting information on both girl's and boy's issues, as they are rather hard to separate (figuratively speaking, of course).
http://www.thehormonefactory.co/index.cfm?flashOK=1
The HealthInsite 'Adolescence' and 'Puberty' Topic Pages cover issues such as nutrition, social skills and possible problems occurring through the teen journey.
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Adolescence
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Puberty
The site of our information partner, Andrology Australia, provides detailed information about the functioning of the male body:
http://www.andrologyaustralia.org/malebody/default.htm
Men's Health
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that, by adulthood, men's health is generally poorer that women's, with the death rate from the main causes of death (such as cancer, heart disease etc) being generally higher for men than women. Men are also more likely to have shorter life spans than women. Opinions differ on whether this could in part be due to cultural pressures on men to keep a "stiff upper lip", and not to complain or seek help when feeling unwell.
HealthInsite has a number of topic pages on men's health in general, as well as specific conditions and diseases suffered by men.
Men's Health
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Men_s_Health
Prostate Diseases
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Prostate_Diseases
Prostate Cancer
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Prostate_Cancer
Risk Factors and Prevention of Prostate Cancer
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Risk_Factors_And_Prevention_Of_Prostate_Cancer
Treatments for Prostate Cancer
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Treatments_For_Prostate_Cancer
The following resources from our partners also deal with the topic of men's health.
Men's health: a matter of giving information or being informed?
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/News_in_Nutrition/Published_Papers/men's_health.asp
Moving forward in men's health.
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/men'shealth/index.html
Testicle injuries and conditions
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Testicle_injuries_and_conditions
Sexual issues
The links below cover issues at all stages of the male life cycle, ranging from sexual health and identity through to contraception and fertility. HealthInsite has a number of topic pages on these issues, including:
Sexual Health for Men
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Sexual_Health_For_Men
Sexual Problems in Men
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Sexual_Problems_In_Men
Homosexuality
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Homosexuality
Male Infertility
http://wwwhealthinsite.gov.au/topics/Male_Infertility
Male Menopause
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Male_Menopause
HealthInsite's information partners provide the following resources:
Reproduction in men
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Reproduction_in_men
Contraception - vasectomy
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Contraception_vasectomy
Impotence treatments
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=2292
Condom - male
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=240&np+200&id+2257
Mental Health Issues
It's a cliche that men have trouble talking about their feelings, but a cliche that often holds true. HealthInsite has the following topic pages for men in need of mental health advice:
If you require immediate help please contact either Lifeline on 13 11 14 or (if you are under 18 years old) Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800
Mental Health of Men
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Mental_Health_Of_Men
Depression
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Depression
What is Depression?
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/What_Is_Depression
Suicide Prevention
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Suicide_Prevention
Our partners can provide further information for men around body image, partnership breakdown and more information about mental health issues:
Body image issues for men
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Body_image_issues_for_men
When marriages break down, it's often men who hurt the most
http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/mhcs/publications/5360.html
Depression in men
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Depression_in_men
Men and mental health
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/mh11syn.htm
The following two HealthInsite information partners specialize in the area of men's health:
Andrology Australia
http://www.andrologyaustralia.org/default.asp
Australian Prostate Cancer Collaboration
http://www.prostatehealth.org.au/index.html
In Brief
HealthInsite celebrates 5 successful years!
Thanks for your support and suggestions over the past 5 years. We hope that we can continue to provide you with a 'safe' place to surf the Internet for reliable health information. Watch out for more improvements and new features coming later in the year.
Your Feedback
Do you think we have missed out on an important topic? If so, let us know via healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au and we'll aim to put together a newsletter including that subject
Partner Spotlight -
Every month we will include a brief overview of one of our information partners. This month we look at the Inspire Foundation (Reach Out).
Reach Out is a website aimed at young people, run by the Inspire Foundation. The Inspire Foundation is an organisation that aims to create opportunities for young people to help themselves and others. The Reach Out website aims to improve the mental health of young people by providing health information and a space for young people to tell their stories. it contains three subsites - Chill Out!, Family & Friends and Professional Forum.
http://www.reachout.com.au/home.asp
Latest Resources
The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including new information partners, new topic pages and news items. You can find a list of new and updated material added to the database in the past month at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/search/newsletter_search.cfm?id=XX
Hot Tip - Hot Headlines
HealthInsite has recently added a "Hot Headlines" section to our website! We'll highlight breaking news of special importance for health consumers and health professionals alike. It also highlights any special achievements or awards achieved by the HealthInsite team!
In this week's edition of Hot Headlines we find information on the new Australian Government website DoctorConnect, a new initiative that aims to assist appropriately trained overseas doctors to enter the Australian medical workforce. It has helpful information about such issues as immigration requirements, medical registration, the Australian health care system, training arrangements and living in Australia for doctors thinking of moving to Australia, and information for employers looking for overseas trained doctors.
What's on next month?
We promised this month to look at information on HealthInsite to help prepare for and recover from the sniffles and sneezes that can herald the onset of winter, but because there was so much good information about men's health we decided to leave that until next month.
That's it for now,
from all of us at HealthInsite.
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