Hidden in plain sight: exploring men’s use of complementary and alternative medicine

Despite the increased attention given to the relationship between masculinity and health, the analysis of men’s use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is relatively underdeveloped compared to studies of female use.

Through the thematic synthesis of existing research studies, this paper collates and analyses patterns of, and motivations for, male usage of CAM. We reveal that there are significant levels of male use of CAM which cannot be explained by recourse to general or gendered patterns of health seeking behaviour or health status. Men who use CAM tend to exhibit similar demographic characteristics to female users, but also show patterns of engagement that both reinforce and challenge hegemonic masculinity.

The paper suggests that there remains a need to investigate the nuances and complexities of the motivations behind male usage patterns, and interrogate how these intersect with the performance of masculine selves.