SysteMALEtizing Resources for Engaging Men in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Home > Publications/Tools > SysteMALEtizing Resources for Engaging Men in Sexual and Reproductive Health: Male Identities and Roles

SysteMALEtizing Resources for Engaging Men in Sexual and Reproductive Health:
Male Identities and Roles

Download printable brochure (PDF: 836KB)

Different groups of men face divergent health needs and challenges, and many programs around the world have focused on some of the specific groups. The resources in this section are divided into three sections: 1) young men and socialization, 2) men at work and in uniform, and 3) men who have sex with men.

Young Men and Socialization

The socialization of boys and men into masculinities that can negatively affect their health and that of their partners has increasingly drawn the focus of the reproductive health field. Men’s roles as students, workers, spouses, fathers, and so on, have varying implications for their health and that of those around them. The new appreciation of masculine socialization and its effects on health and well being has led to the development of very interesting work with young men.

Please note: some of the following links lead to PDF or Powerpoint documents that may take a little while to load. If no helper program is available, they will download automatically to your hard drive.

Program Examples:

Men at Work and in Uniform

Work settings provide important opportunities to reach men with information and services. Men’s identities as workers can also contribute to specific risks. Military training and sports play important roles in socializing boys and men by, among other things, suppressing individuality and personality, promoting a dominance-oriented idea of masculinity, encouraging aggression, and distorting the importance of competition. Thus, working with men of the police and military in promoting awareness and skills-building can be especially fruitful.

Overview of Issues:

Program Examples:

    Men in the military
    Men in agrarian settings
    Men at the office
    Truck drivers
    Miners and other migrant workers

Men Who Have Sex with Men

Program Examples:

Programmatic Tools:

  • Sahayog. Working with Men on Gender, Sexuality, Violence and Health: Trainers’ Manual (April 2005).
  • The Urban Institute. Young Men’s Sexual and Reproductive Health: Toward a National Strategy (December 2000).
  • Research and Evaluation: