Brazilian National Policy of Men's Health Integral Care: analysis of its discourse

Authors

  • Alberto Mesaque Martins Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
  • Bernardo Salles Malamut Centro Universitário UNA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/sausoc.v22i2.76442

Abstract

Men's health has become an emergent field of studies in public health recently. The newly-established Brazilian National Policy on Men's Health (PNAISH) represents the concerns with this matter. Based on the Foucaltian notion of discourse and in assumptions of gender theories, this study aims to identify and analyze some of the discourses that support PNAISH. Its official text and documents of the Ministry of Health were analyzed, as well as newspaper articles covering the planning, launching and execution of that policy in Brazilian scenario. The results point out that PNAISH appeared not from a commonly recognized demand, but from a political decision, so that little space was granted to a participatory decision-making and deliberative process. The victimization and blaming of men for their illnesses is still a remarkable feature of the policy document. The analysis of discourses that constitute PNAISH points out to a complexity that pervades its implementation process in Brazil, and indicates the necessity of constantly thinking about its ethics and political presuppositions, so that further changes in PNAISH may assure the effectiveness of SUS' fundamental principles.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

2013-06-01

Issue

Section

Part II - Articles

How to Cite

Brazilian National Policy of Men’s Health Integral Care: analysis of its discourse. (2013). Saúde E Sociedade, 22(2), 429-440. https://doi.org/10.1590/sausoc.v22i2.76442