When you think about masculinity you might imagine a certain muscled body type or dominant kind of behaviour, but the characteristics we’ve come to associate with men go beyond what we look like or how we interact with others. Masculine norms can impact our health in ways you might not realise.
What is masculinity?
Masculinity is a set of traits, behaviours and roles that a given culture associates with being a man. It’s the socially shaped expectations about how men and boys should feel, act and relate to others. Traditionally, these expectations include toughness, independence, hypersexuality, stoicism, aggressiveness, and control, though the exact mix shifts across cultures and history.
How does masculinity affect men?
Many men feel pressure to behave in ways that match masculine expectations and hide parts of themselves that don’t fit the mould.
A 2025 study by The Men’s Project explored attitudes to manhood and the behaviours of Australian men aged 18 to 30. It found that the majority of young men surveyed disagreed with the negative ‘rules’ associated with being a ‘real man’ — like not asking others for help, acting tough, being physically attractive, being the breadwinner, having lots of female sexual partners and having the final say in relationships — but still felt pressure from society to conform to them.
Some of these beliefs — such as condoning violence — are clearly harmful. But others are more complicated. Traits like strength, stoicism or self-reliance can be valuable in certain contexts. The problem arises when they’re applied rigidly in every situation, especially when it comes to mental wellbeing.
“A fireman needs to be stoic, self-reliant, strong, and powerful in the face of the fire, but when he comes down, he needs to be vulnerable and emotionally communicative to overcome trauma,” says psychologist Dr Zac Seidler, the global director of research at Movember and part of the team at Orygen – a youth mental health organisation. “If we just have a one-size-fits-all, ‘I am this bloke in all set settings’ approach, it really ends very badly and that’s what we witness all the time.”
How does masculinity affect men’s health?
Masculine norms can negatively impact your health in a variety of ways — affecting everything from sunscreen use to whether you’ll go to the doctor when you have a concerning symptom.
The Men’s Project found that those who most strongly agreed with the traditional masculine norms reported poorer levels of mental health, engaged in risky drinking, were more likely to be in car accidents and to report committing acts of violence, online bullying and sexual harassment.
When it comes to mental health, these norms contribute to emotional suppression and a heightened stigma around seeking help, leading men to underreport mental health issues and avoid professional support. Fear of judgment and societal perceptions of weakness further deter men from accessing mental health services, reinforcing a cycle of isolation and untreated mental health problems.
For some older men, avoiding help-seeking and not accessing preventative health services such as cancer screening services is associated with a strong endorsement of traditional masculine norms like being tough and self-reliant.
However, some masculine norms such as competitiveness and achievement can help men keep their health in check and tapping into these attributes could encourage men to prioritise their health. Rather than focusing on one dominant idea of masculinity, exploring and celebrating the breadth of what men can be is critical for improving their health.
What are healthier masculinities?
Healthy masculinities are flexible ways of being a man that integrate traditionally valued strengths like courage and responsibility with emotional openness, empathy and equality, promoting wellbeing for men and those around them. “We use the term ‘masculinities’ because within each man is a constantly evolving, changing, contradictory experience of masculinity that, depending on where you are, who you’re talking to, who you’re relating with, will shift,” Dr Seidler says.
Encouraging healthy masculinities needs to happen at the systemic, community, organisational and individual levels to transform the attitudes, behaviours, norms, and structures associated with harmful masculine stereotypes. These efforts need to build on men’s positive health practices and the importance of their wellbeing, rather than paint masculinity as inherently problematic or ‘toxic’.
“The term ‘toxic masculinity’ is fundamentally flawed. It has no basis in science and it’s really problematic,” Dr Seidler says. “There are many facets of manhood that, when applied incorrectly, are toxic, but they are toxic behaviours, not toxic traits.”
It’s important to recognise that many men are striving to take care of their health and the barriers to better wellbeing go beyond individual behaviour, and are present in health policies, structures, and services. As an individual, you can help build a healthier culture of masculinities by understanding how norms might affect you and other people in your life.
