Lancet Report Calls Manosphere a Public Health Issue
Researchers argue online communities promoting harmful ideas about masculinity should be addressed through coordinated government health policy.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Men’s Health
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A report published in The Lancet medical journal on October 30, 2026, calls for the manosphere to be treated as a public health issue. The authors define it as online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny, and male victimisation.
Why it matters
The report says the manosphere harms men's mental health, contributes to violence against women, and discourages men and boys from seeking help. Framing it as a public health concern opens policy options beyond regulation alone.
The report was published as a Lancet paper dated October 30, 2026, but the extraction provides no prevalence or outcome statistics. Its scale of harm and the number of people affected remain unquantified in the available material.
The players
Sarah J. Hawkes
Prof Dr Sarah J. Hawkes is head of the Global Population Health Department at Monash University Malaysia and an honorary professor at University College London, and is a co-author of the report.
Kent Buse
Dr Kent Buse is a health policy professor at Monash University Malaysia and a co-author of the report on the manosphere.
Monash University Malaysia
Monash University Malaysia is the Malaysian campus of the Australian Monash University, where both report co-authors are based.
The details
Co-authors Prof Dr Sarah J. Hawkes and Dr Kent Buse argue the manosphere uses tactics resembling those of the tobacco industry, blaming individuals and framing regulation as an attack on freedom. The authors also report that manosphere messaging pushes boys and men toward financial schemes and unregulated supplements and hormones.
Timeline
October 30, 2026: The Lancet publishes the report calling for the manosphere to be treated as a public health issue.
November 9, 2026: thestar.com.my publishes an article on the report.
Health Landscape
The report draws a direct parallel to the tobacco industry, whose tactics of blaming individuals and resisting regulation as an infringement on freedom are described as a playbook the manosphere now uses. By recasting online masculinity communities as a public health matter, the authors extend the framework that public health has long applied to products like tobacco into the digital sphere.
Readers who encounter online communities promoting unregulated supplements or hormones may face direct health risks. The report's framing suggests individuals can evaluate such messaging before purchasing products or pursuing treatment.
The takeaway
The report suggests that financial schemes, supplements, and hormone marketing aimed at young men may warrant the same scrutiny applied to other health-harming industries. Readers evaluating such products should look for regulatory approval and credible medical guidance before buying.
Further reading
For related coverage of men's health topics, browse Men’s Health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Star.
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