The national government is initiating a comprehensive strategy for men’s health. We hear from men who have opted out of the healthcare system, from professionals discussing ways to better connect with men, and about the effects of politics and the manosphere on this matter.
As the COVID-19 outbreak began in early April 2020, Kolter Bouchard, who was newly a father, noticed a lump on his neck.
At the time, the 29-year-old Toronto radio host feared it might be cancer, yet he postponed visiting a doctor. Perhaps it was just stress, he reasoned.
“Part of it was my tendency to adopt a ‘Wait and see if it disappears’ strategy,” Bouchard shared with The Current’s Matt Galloway.
It wasn’t until he found a second lump a month later that he visited his physician. The diagnosis was Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“I had moments when I feared this could be cancer,” Bouchard recounted. “I thought, ‘I don’t want to end up like that. I refuse to become a frail … shadow of my current self.’”
His situation is not unique.
Experts and health advocates indicate that many men postpone seeking medical help, even when symptoms arise—a trend that the federal government aims to change by implementing a strategy designed to enhance the health of men and boys.
Recent statistics from Statistics Canada reveal that men face significant health issues, including elevated rates of suicide, substance use, and premature or preventable deaths.
“Too frequently, the message directed at men and boys is to endure silently and handle their problems alone,” stated Minister of Women and Gender Equality Rechie Valdez during a news conference in February.
According to Health Canada, the forthcoming strategy, expected to be unveiled later this year, will focus on creating “supportive and secure environments, challenging damaging stereotypes, diminishing stigma, and motivating men of all ages to seek assistance when necessary.”
Reasons men delay
A recurring theme in the statistics reflects Bouchard’s experience; a tendency to postpone care. Approximately 65 percent of men waited over six days before seeking help for their symptoms, based on a September 2025 report from Movember, an organization advocating for men’s health. Nearly 10 percent of men delay seeking care for more than two years, according to the findings.
These figures do not surprise Dr. David Kuhl, a medical professor at the University of British Columbia who examines how trauma, masculinity, and fatherhood affect men’s health.
Kuhl, who collaborates frequently with firefighters, observes that many Canadian men shy away from pursuing medical care as it conflicts with their perception of masculinity — a viewpoint influenced partly by broader societal messages.
“At the core of the issue are the messages they receive regarding what it means to be male,” Kuhl stated. “This leads to the belief that ‘I don’t ask for help, I’m self-sufficient, I suppress my emotions, and I remain isolated.’”
Bouchard, right, mentions that his wife, left, had recently given birth to their daughter, center, just weeks before he discovered a lump on his neck in April 2020. He expressed concern about what a cancer diagnosis would mean for his role as the primary provider for his family. (Kolter Bouchard)
The ‘vicious cycle’ of the manosphere
Timothy Caulfield, a professor at the University of Alberta’s faculty of law and school of public health, asserts that many health issues affecting men are increasingly connected to messages from the so-called “manosphere”—a collective term for online communities that its critics argue promote misogynistic and harmful perspectives.
“Many of these issues … are closely linked to the acceptance of traditional masculine ideals,” Caulfield explained. “There has been a long-standing health crisis for men, and the manosphere, which capitalizes on this crisis, is exacerbating the situation.”
The messages targeting men through social media, podcasts, gaming communities, and other online platforms often endorse a combative definition of masculinity where power and appearance are seen as indicators of male value.
This creates a “vicious cycle,” according to Caulfield.
“You have a real issue concerning men’s health … overall wellness, feeling disconnected,” he stated. “The manosphere positions itself as a remedy [but] that remedy is hyper-masculinity, which is precisely what we do not need.”
Timothy Caulfield, a professor in the faculty of law and the school of public health at the University of Alberta, highlights how the health challenges faced by men are intensified by online influencers in the ‘manosphere.’ (David MacIntosh/CBC)
Reconceptualizing masculinity
Caulfield emphasizes that any national strategy should recognize the larger cultural influences that shape men’s health, including the increasing impact of online influencers and even political movements.
“A lot of what unfolded in the United States regarding MAGA contained elements of the manosphere,” Caulfield noted. “This is not merely a fringe issue; it is becoming central to popular culture.”
For Bouchard, a crucial part of the solution lies in encouraging men to share their stories.
“I believe the most significant action we can take is to normalize discussions around this topic,” he asserted. “This starts with encouraging men to communicate with one another.”
Kuhl concurs.
“We…must recognize that men are eager to discuss [their health challenges], but they prefer to engage in conversations with those who can relate to their experiences… and their understanding of their physical and mental states,” Kuhl explained.
He argues that these conversations should also help reshape the perception of masculinity—often associated with the term “toxic.”
“We can discuss how ‘providing for my family’ implies [that] I need to maintain my health,” Kuhl stated. “It also means that I should muster the courage to say, ‘I’ll talk to someone about this,’ and ideally, I’ll find a physician who comprehends what it entails to speak with a man.”
He emphasizes the importance of highlighting the positive traits of masculinity, such as the desire to support and nurture a family, in this reframing process. Kuhl also encourages family practitioners to engage with boys and men earlier in their healthcare journey—not solely when they are in crisis.
For instance, Kuhl suggests that physicians could invite fathers to attend prenatal appointments, signaling that their health is significant too.
“If primarily women and children are seeking care… inform them that you value the family’s health and are keen to converse with the father,” Kuhl advised. “This way, there is a growing familiarity with how men view healthcare and its delivery, integrating it into the broader context of family practice.”
Dr. David Kuhl, a professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of British Columbia, notes that Canadian men often resist engaging with the healthcare system because it contradicts their self-image as men. (David Kuhl)
Health advocates assert that addressing the health of men could yield wider public health benefits.
Caulfield references studies indicating that “individuals who adhere to traditional masculine standards are less inclined to adopt public health practices” such as getting vaccinated.
“They’re less likely to engage in basic activities like using sunscreen or maintaining a healthy diet because these actions aren’t perceived as masculine,” remarked Caulfield. “Thus, it genuinely presents a broad public health issue that must be confronted.”
He hopes the national strategy will reinforce the idea that being a man includes taking necessary measures to maintain health, enabling men to support and be present for their families.
Now, Bouchard, who has become a relationship and lifestyle influencer and collaborates with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, reflects on the irony of feeling stronger after confronting the very notions that previously held him captive.
He states that combating—and ultimately overcoming cancer twice—liberated him from the “prison” of toxic masculinity he once inhabited.
“I no longer recognize the person I once was,” Bouchard remarked. “That’s the profound irony; I am significantly stronger now, having traversed [cancer] and acknowledging that I was confined.”