As I’m sure you are already aware, the public health service syphilis study at Tuskegee was a complete and utter disaster. Back in the 1930s, hundreds of Black men were participating and, shockingly, they were never informed about their disease, nor offered any treatment. Even after penicillin became the holy grail of syphilis treatment in the early 1940s, these men still didn’t get any help. You can see why Black men might be skeptical of doctors and healthcare in general after that fiasco.

But wait! It’s not all doom and gloom. There have been some improvements in the healthcare system when it comes to engaging Black men. For example, doctors are actually listening to them when they have concerns, and engaging in some shared decision-making about their health and health care. Yes, folks, miracles do happen.

However, there’s still a long way to go. Take, for instance, the significant discrepancy between the average life expectancy for a Black man versus a White man. While we have extended life for Black men, everybody else’s life expectancy has improved too. This means that the gap just isn’t closing. To add insult to injury, life expectancy for everyone has decreased since COVID-19, with Black people experiencing a reduction twice as large as Whites.

So, what other challenges do Black men face when it comes to their health, I hear you ask? Well, a large part of that discrepancy is based on structural racism. Basically, Black men experience stress across all levels of socioeconomic status. That stress then impacts different physiological systems, leading to chronic conditions like hypertension and heart disease. These conditions then contribute to Black men’s life expectancy being much shorter than White men’s.

As if that weren’t enough, police brutality is also a problem that contributes to Black men’s poor health. Watching another Black man’s murder on TV is traumatic, and it’s not something that can be easily shrugged off. Black men already have poor health profiles, and not enough resources are available to help deal with the trauma of witnessing such violence.

Enter the Black Men’s Health Project. Their goal is to create awareness of Black men’s health, and the social and historical issues that Black men have faced. One of their key aims is to create a Black men’s health survey, to better understand their health trajectory. There’s currently no study that focuses uniquely on the specific needs of Black men. Shame on us.

Now, when it comes to mental health issues, there are disparities by race. However, the disparity is even trickier when it comes to Black men because there’s more of a stigma associated with saying they have mental problems. When they do reach out for help, they often feel like they’re not being heard by their healthcare providers.

So, what can Black men do to try and improve their health? For starters, they can establish a primary care physician. Then, they need to understand what their basic numbers are, such as blood pressure, weight, height, hemoglobin A1C, and cholesterol levels. Knowledge is power, people.

And if you’re a Black man, get your PSA levels checked ASAP. Prostate cancer is no joke, and Black men often get diagnosed with it when it’s already too late. Knowing your family history is also key information to have, as sharing it with your physician can help them help you.

Speaking of family history, let’s get personal for a moment. Both of my grandfathers died of heart disease, and my father passed away six years ago from uncontrolled hypertension that led to a stroke. I don’t want to journey down that same path. So, I have a primary care physician, a dentist, a podiatrist, an audiologist, and an optometrist. I share my family history with all of them because, as they say, prevention is better than cure.

So there you have it, folks. It’s not easy being a Black man in America, but there are ways to improve your chances of living a longer, healthier life. Remember, knowledge, prevention, and establishing a community of healthcare professionals are key. May the force be with you!

Serious News: washingtonpost