Men's Health Awareness Week 2026

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening

AAA screening is offered to men aged 65 and for most involves a one-off ultrasound scan of the abdomen.

Our AAA Screening Annual Report (March 2026) shows encouraging participation, with around 31,000 men attending their appointment last year. An abdominal aortic aneurysm often has no symptoms, but if left undetected it can be life-threatening. Read the full report here: Scottish Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening programme statistics - Year ending 31 March 2025 - Scottish Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening programme statistics - Publications - Public Health Scotland

To promote this programme and to continue its success, there are a number of assets available here including static and video assets including a ‘what to expect’ video.

The video is also available in a range of other languages.   

Bowel Screening

Bowel screening is the only national screening programme where the test is done at home. It aims to find cancer at an earlier stage, before symptoms occur, when treatment is likely to be more effective. Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Scotland. The uptake of screening is lower in men (63%) than it is in women (68%).

To help encourage participation for those eligible (people aged 50-74) and increase screening uptake, there are a suite of resources available here including static and video assets including a ‘how to complete your home test’ video.

Smoking

In Scotland, 18% of men now smoke compared to 13.3% of women, and men continue to be less likely to seek support to quit.

On average, male smokers also consume slightly more cigarettes per day (12.8) than female smokers (12), reinforcing the continued impact on men’s health. While many people are trying to quit, women still outnumber men in attempts to stop smoking, highlighting an ongoing gap in engagement among men.

Smoking is one of the single largest preventable causes of premature death and ill health in Scotland. It causes over 8,000 smoking-related deaths every year in Scotland and is responsible for over 40,000 hospital admissions.

To raise awareness of Quit Your Way, Scotland’s stop smoking service and encourage men to reach out for support to go smoke-free there are a range of assets available here. 

Are you watching Scotland home or away this Summer?

Whether fans are heading to America to support Scotland at the World Cup or watching the games in a fan zone closer to home, it’s important to make sure their vaccinations are up to date before they go.

Large crowds and busy events can make it easier for infectious diseases such as measles and meningitis to spread. Especially in cases where fans from all around the world are travelling to one location. This is why it's important fans travelling check they are up to date on their vaccines before the tournament starts. Checking your vaccination status can help protect both you and those around you.

There are several football associated assets to support these messages available here.

For more information, and to find out how to check your vaccination status visit nhsinform.scot/gettingvaccinations