Have you ever wondered how, in most conversations around health and wellness, most millennial and GenZ men may know about body building, sports and fitness while being unaware of serious health issues like cervical cancer (yes, in men!), male menopause, or even how to handle serious viral and bacterial infections? On the other hand, you'd be hard-pressed to find an urban Indian woman who hasn't heard of (again) cervical cancer, breast cancer, PCOS, fibroids, miscarriages, asthma, allergies, etc and would probably be able to point out the risk factors, symptoms, and more for each. If you have observed this then you too would come to the conclusion that men, globally and in India, do have lower health literacy than women. And this is a worrisome trend.
Health literacy, the ability to find, understand and use health information, is a hidden engine of public health. When people lack it, they miss screenings, misunderstand medicines and postpone care, which raises sickness and death that could have been prevented.
Worldwide, some studies show women have an edge in health literacy measures; other studies find the gap small or context-dependent. India adds another layer of complexity. Men have historically had higher general literacy and higher health-care spending, yet they also show patterns of delayed care, risky behaviour and higher premature mortality in working ages.
That begs the question: Do men truly have lower health literacy than women? And if so, why?
Low Male Health Literacy: What The Global Evidence Shows
Large reviews and recent systematic analyses find a small but measurable gender gap in health literacy favouring women in many settings. A 2023-2025 sweep of global studies concluded women often score higher on measures of seeking health information and following preventive advice, though results vary by study design and population.
Importantly, these differences shrink once education, income and age are accounted for, meaning gender interacts with social determinants rather than acting alone. In short, gender is a factor, but not the whole story.
India's Data: Mixed Signals, Important Patterns
India's national surveys and ageing studies help map the terrain. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) collected extensive data on health behaviours across 724,115 women and 101,839 men. It highlights gendered patterns in service use, nutrition and reproductive health contact points that give women repeated exposure to the health system. Meanwhile, the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) reveals gender differences in disease prevalence, awareness and treatment control among older adults.
Together they show these patterns that may explain the health literacy gap between men and women:
- Women have more routine contact with health services (maternal and child care), which can boost their practical health knowledge.
- Men have higher rates of risky behaviours (tobacco, alcohol, road risk) and are more likely to die prematurely from NCDs and injuries. These are outcomes that reflect both behaviour and delayed care. A 2024-25 analysis of civil registration data in some states shows sharp excess male mortality in working ages.
But these trends hide local nuance. In many rural or low-education pockets, women face major barriers to knowledge and access that suppress any advantage. Several Indian studies show health-literacy determinants differ by gender. Education, income and number of dependents matter more for men in some contexts, while mobility and social norms matter more for women in others.
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Why Men May Underperform On Health Literacy And Care-Seeking
Multiple, overlapping drivers explain why men often appear less health-literate in practice:
- Masculine norms and stigma: Men are less likely to talk about symptoms or seek help for mental and sexual health.
- Work pressures: Long hours and informal employment deter preventive visits and follow-ups.
- Perceived invulnerability: Men may downplay symptoms until severe because stereotypes associate men's nature to be more about bravado and strength rather than caution and early care.
- Health system focus: Public outreach in India has historically prioritised maternal-child services, leaving gaps in male-centred preventive messaging.
- Information channels: Women frequently access community and primary healthcare contacts (ASHA workers, antenatal clinics) that function as recurring health education touchpoints. Men lack comparable routine channels.
These pathways, rather than intrinsic cognitive ability, shape observed literacy.
Real-World Consequences For India's Public Health
Lower effective health literacy among men, understood as lower uptake of prevention, delays in diagnosis and poorer self-management, has big consequences:
- Higher burden of uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes.
- Later-stage cancer diagnoses.
- Larger numbers of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease and injuries.
This is especially concerning given India's rising NCD burden, so missed prevention among men can overwhelm families and the health system.
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Practical Steps: What Men, Families And Policymakers Can Do
Here are some steps you can take immediately to change the state of men's health literacy levels today:
For men:
- Prioritise annual or biennial health checks (BP, glucose, lipids) after 35.
- Use trusted government portals (ICMR/AIIMS) or local clinics, and ask for simple, written instructions.
- In consultations, repeat back instructions and bring a family member if helpful.
For families and communities:
- Encourage male relatives to attend opportunistic screenings (workplace camps, family visits).
- Normalise conversations about mental and sexual health to reduce stigma.
For policymakers and health communicators:
- Create male-focused outreach (workplace screening, sports club partnerships, vernacular messaging).
- Expand community-based touchpoints for men comparable to maternal outreach (e.g., male health volunteers).
- Measure health literacy routinely in surveys and disaggregate by gender, caste, SES and urban or rural status to target programs.
So, do men have lower health literacy than women? The short answer: Sometimes, and importantly in ways that matter.
Gender differences are real in behaviour and outcomes, but the root causes are social and structural factors like work, norms, health-system design and differential contact with care. For India, tackling this problem is not about blaming men. It's about redesigning outreach, normalising help-seeking and giving both sexes the tools to act on health information. Small changes at home, workplaces and clinics can prevent big health losses across the country.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
