Hundreds of African-American men who face higher risk for prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and other conditions joined together at Blue Cross Blue Shield’s “Man Up! For Better Health” event, created to address health issues and prevention efforts once again this year.
Knowledge is critical in the effort to address disparate health conditions and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been on the leading edge of raising community awareness of the importance of regular preventive health screenings.
“Events like this one continue to promote the need for African-American men to take better care of ourselves,” said participant Tony Stovall, who worries that too many Black men feel invincible. “It’s a natural tendency for men to feel and act macho, but the reality is unless we man up and do the things we need to do, we’re likely to cut our lives short, and there’s nothing manly about that.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, women are 100 percent more likely to visit the doctor for annual exams and preventive services than men. Most likelly, this is not shocking for the mothers, wives and friends who nudge the men in their lives to schedule a doctor’s appointment or get a preventive screening.
When you ask men why they avoid the physician’s office, the answers range from “I don’t have the insurance coverage” to not having enough time, or very simply and commonly, not liking the examinations. However, it is crucial for men to see their doctor and get regular exams and health screenings.
“One of the most important things a man can do for his family, especially African-American men, is to take better care of his health,” said Dr. Glenn A. Croxton, chair of the Health and Wellness Committee for 100 Black Men of Greater Detroit. “This starts with seeking a primary care physician, someone who can provide annual physical exams and screen for diseases prevalent among African-American men, like hypertension, diabetes and prostate cancer.”
Events like “Man Up! For Better Health” put the spotlight on the importance of awareness, prevention, education and family as it relates to men and their health.
“There can be no more excuses,” said Dr. Croxton. “Our African-American men are leaving here much too soon and in record numbers. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others fought for our freedom, but they also fought for our right to quality health care, when he said, ‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'”