A Healthy Reminder

This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day, as well as the culmination of National Men’s Health Week. National Men’s Health Week serves as an important reminder for our fathers, brothers, and sons to seek preventative health check-ups, support ongoing efforts to improve men’s health, and raise awareness for men’s health issues. As a strong advocate for men taking control of their healthcare decisions, I was proud to write to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to increase funding for Prostate Cancer research to $90 million. Prostate cancer accounts for 26 percent of all cancer cases and this funding will help improve treatment and early diagnosis practices. In addition, I have called on the Appropriations Committee to allocate $36 billion to the National Institute of Health (NIH). This would be an increase of $2 billion from last year to help advance research into cancer and other diseases. National Men’s Health Week helps raise awareness about key screenings that every man should know about. Regular screenings and early detection can greatly decrease the risk of certain cancers, including colorectal, prostate, lung, and skin, and make them easier to treat. Men should take time to talk to their doctors to find out when is the right time to begin preventative screenings. Cancer screenings are not only for those with high risk or with noticeable symptoms, but are a vital part of general preventative care. This week marks an opportunity to recognize all of the fathers and important men in our lives and to raise awareness about the importance of preventative healthcare. Again, have a very happy and healthy Father’s Day! Sincerely, Dave Loebsack Iowa's Second District