Masculinities, gender, and health: a plural and urgent debate

Abstract

This essay is part of the dossier “Masculinities, Gender, and Health” of the journal Saúde e Sociedade (Health and Society) and proposes a theoreticalpolitical reflection on the field of masculinity studies within the context of public health. From a feminist and transdisciplinary perspective, the text argues that masculinities should always be understood in the plural, articulated with social markers of difference such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, class, and territory. It discusses the political dimensions that permeate this debate (from intimacy to public policies), presents epidemiological data on male illness and mortality by gender, and analyzes the National Policy for Comprehensive Men’s Health Care (PNAISH) in its advances and challenges. The essay also problematizes the risks of regression represented by the rise of the far right and the digital masculinity sphere, and concludes with a bet on the transformative power of the field of masculinity studies committed to social justice, affection, and freedom.