Lew Logan is a university physician at University Health Services. His e-mail address is lpl103@psu.edu.

One of the most difficult tasks that I am called upon to do as a physician is to inform patients that they have a serious medical problem, perhaps shortening their lives. Ironically, I also have such a condition, as do about half of the students seeking medical care at University Health Services. You see, those students and I were born with a Y-chromosome, resulting in something we call male gender.

Men on average die seven years younger than women. This gender mortality gap has been getting wider for almost a century. When my parents were born in the 1920s, men and women lived roughly to the same age.

In short, men are at greater risk than women.

They get sicker more quickly than women do. They die younger. They vastly outnumber women as victims of violence and on-the-job deaths.

For each of the top 10 causes of death, men have higher death rates than women do. For example, prostate cancer kills more men than breast cancer kills women.

Two-thirds of alcoholics are men. Four out of every five suicides are committed by men. And men of color are much worse off than white men on just about every health front.

When I confront male students with these facts, the usual response is, "I don't need to worry about that until I'm old." But that's wrong! The gender mortality gap occurs primarily among young adult men, not older men. Actually, by the time a man hits 50 years old, he can expect to live about the same number of additional years as a woman his age. The greatest risk is when men are younger -- for example, you or guys you know.

The obvious question is: Do men die younger because of testosterone? The answer is no. Research does not support the notion that testosterone is "toxic" or that the gender mortality gap has any biological basis. The premature deaths in young men are from trauma and subtler ways that men abuse their bodies. Men tend to drive faster, engage in more violent behavior, take their own lives more often, have more sexual partners and take greater risks at work and in play. Overall they smoke more, drink more and eat more fat and calories than women.

Three college-aged men will die for every one college-aged woman.

So, where is the outrage? Who is to blame? Perhaps this medical crisis is really a crisis in socialization. From the moment the doctor announces, "It's a boy," that child is treated differently and encouraged to take on the hegemonic masculinity portrayed at home, at play, on athletic fields, in schools and in popular music, film, television and advertising.

Robert Brannon published a article in 1976 describing four characteristics of hegemonic masculinity: no sissy stuff, be a big wheel, be a sturdy oak and give 'em hell. I'm certain every man reading this can list a thousand times they have been pressured while growing up to follow that version of masculinity. Unfortunately, that version of masculinity is killing us.

I had the opportunity to attend the first National Conference on Men's Health, which was organized by Penn State and held in Washington, D.C., this past summer. Some of the themes were that a man's strength and determination could be redirected to create a healthier and safer society for both men and women. It was made clear that this is a relatively "silent crisis" with very few college-aged men even aware of their own vulnerability. The social and economic pressures against redefining a healthier masculinity are staggering. Men, as a group, have little experience organizing to promote healthy social change. Unexpectedly, participants at the conference felt a need to share a collective sense of guilt and shame about being a man and the role men have played in violence against women and each other.

For our female readers: You have great influence over men in the dating years. Think about what aspects of masculinity you actually reward. Are they attributes that can be harmful to a guy's health? Do you reward guys who are big drinkers? Fast drivers? Risk-takers? Rough with women? Show-offs with macho attitudes? Or do you reward guys for their sense of humor, kindness to others and ability to be themselves with no apparent need to impress you?

I have no pill to fix this problem for my male patients. Instead, I encourage them to think about their vulnerability and to accept the challenge to change their behaviors while encouraging others to do the same.