Prostate Cancer -The Real Down Low Disease

As we get older in life, I think, the hope is that our experiences and lessons learned instills in us wisdom so we can make better decisions in the future; and don’t repeat the same mistakes twice. Nevertheless, the truth is that most of us continue to make the same mistakes over and over and over; especially in relationships. Regardless if the relationships are with family members, a spouse or with friends. We find ourselves in what Shakespeare calls “a suspended animation of disbelief.” The disbelief of repeating yourself and making that dreaded statement at the end when you realize your mistake and you say to yourself “I did it again”; and that is a hard “pill” to swallow. Unfortunately, this lack of wisdom not only effects our choices in relationships but it overlaps and permeates in other areas of our lives; more specifically health care.
Black men apprehension in seeking medical health care in 2008 has not changed in over 40 years. Now, scholars and researchers will say that we cannot determine if Black men attitudes to seek health care has improved because there is a lack of research to support my hypothesis. The disheartening fact is that there is a lack of evidence to refute my hypothesis due to the fact that Black is classified as a race and not a cultural ethnicity. You can research the attitudes of Latinos-Americans, Asians-Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders; but not Blacks. Subsequently, data for Black men becomes infused in the other cultural ethnicity and Black men attitudes are not reflected.
Let’s take a closer look at this and try to comprehend the impact that prostate cancer has on Black men. A couple of years ago I received a frantic call from my friend telling me that his father has Prostate cancer. My first impulse was to conduct research. So the researcher in me shifted into high gear. I signed onto the Internet and began book marking information on the Prostate cancer, state of the art treatment and where the best hospitals in his area were. I explained to him that Prostate cancer leads all of other types of cancer diagnosis in Black men in the United States. In addition, Black men have the highest rate of Prostate cancer of any other groups in the United States. I presented my friend with a wealth of information and for just one second I thought I did something important. What I failed to do was educate him on the devastating impact that Prostate cancer is having on Black men. More importantly, how early screening and early detection can result in early treatment. However, the real problem is Black men. Black men do not engage in preventative medical procedures. Black men seek medical care as a last resort and it’s usually as an emergency or what is called episodic care. Black men distrust the health care system because of historical trauma. Now in defense of my friend’s dad and other Black men, there are also barriers that prevent Black men from accessing health care. The lack of insurance or being under insured, quality of care/inadequate health care providers in urban and rural areas, communication, and gender specific services.
So now it is time to use wisdom. I am going to tell you what I should have explained to my friend two years ago. The Prostate is one of the male sex glands, located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The normal prostate is about the size of a walnut and it surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). Prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer. According to the American Cancer Society it is highly recommended that men at high-risk (i.e., family history, Black) should begin early detection with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and the digital rectal examination (DRE) at 40 years of age. Either procedure can be requested through your primary care physician or public health service provider. Lastly, please visit www.ustoo.org to find out more information on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Now, you know not to make the same mistake I made, go tell a friend….my friend.
Peace and Blessings.