Men's Health Week takes place from 15 to 21 June 2026. This year's theme is ‘One step at a time - progress, not perfection’. It recognises that good health is built through small, positive actions taken over time.
The week encourages men and boys to support each other to take practical steps to look after their health and wellbeing. One of those steps is taking part in screening when invited.
Screening is a way of checking for signs of certain health conditions before symptoms develop. It is free, accessible and can help to find problems early, when treatment may be more successful.
BowelScreen - helping to prevent bowel cancer
BowelScreen is Ireland's free bowel screening programme for everyone aged 57 to 71. It’s for people who do not have symptoms of bowel cancer.
We invite eligible people to take a simple home test every 2 years. The test looks for tiny traces of blood in a poo sample that may not be visible to the naked eye.
Bowel screening can make a difference because it can:
- help prevent bowel cancer by finding and removing growths called polyps that could develop into cancer over time
- find bowel cancer at an earlier stage, before symptoms develop
- improve the chances of successful treatment if cancer is found.
Research shows that taking part in bowel screening when you’re invited matters. 9 out of 10 people who do a BowelScreen test will do it again when invited. That makes the first test an important step.
Most people get a normal result, and if you need follow-up care, it’s free.
If you’re aged 57 to 71, taking part in BowelScreen is a simple step you can take to help protect your health.
You can use the online BowelScreen register to:
- check if you’re already on the register
- confirm that you want to take part in BowelScreen
- request your free home-test kit when you’re invited for the first time
- check your contact details and update them if you’ve moved address
- find out when your next screening is due.
Diabetic RetinaScreen - protecting eyesight
Diabetic RetinaScreen is Ireland's free diabetic eye screening programme for everyone aged 12 and over who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
We look for signs of diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease caused by damage to the small blood vessels at the back of the eye (retina).
Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes. It often develops without symptoms in its early stages.
Regular eye screening is important because:
- diabetic retinopathy is largely treatable when found early
- early detection can lead to more successful treatment and better outcomes
- untreated diabetic retinopathy can lead to sight loss and blindness.
Your eye screening appointment usually takes about 30 minutes. We take specialised photographs of the back of your eyes. We provide screening at more than 140 locations across Ireland, making it easy for most people to attend locally.
If you need follow-up care or treatment after your eye screening, this is also free.
If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, take the first step and add your details to our Diabetic RetinaScreen register so that you can get your invitation to screening.
There are 2 ways you can do this:
- Ask your GP, practice nurse, dietitian or eye doctor to register you.
- Fill in a registration form online, print it, get your GP to sign it, and then post it to our freepost address.
Take one step today
Looking after your health starts with a single action such as making sure you are on the screening registers, completing a BowelScreen home test, or attending your eye screening appointment.
These small steps can help to protect your health by preventing disease from developing or finding health problems earlier when treatment can be more effective.
If you're eligible for screening, make it your next step. Choose screening for Men’s Health Week.
- The HSE Health & Wellbeing Men’s Health Week 2026 webinar, takes place on Monday 15 June from 12pm to 1pm.