Top Health Concerns Impacting Black Men & Screening Guidelines

Black men continue to endure far worse health statistics than any other racial group. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Blacks maintain lower life expectancy than Black women, white men, and white women. Similar to all racial groups, the overall life expectancy has increased over the past century, but despite this, Black men are still coming in last place when it comes to taking care of their health. What are some of the reasons for this? There are several factors that can affect why some don’t follow up on their health, don’t go to the doctor as often as necessary, or are having health issues overall. Lack of economic resources, lack of health insurance, limited access to care, food deserts, poverty, poor health literacy/health education, environmental factors, genetics, and cultural barriers/factors can play huge roles in why some Black men are suffering these poor health statistics at such alarming rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the leading causes of death (LCOD) for Black males in the United States as of 2018 are as follows: Ten Leading Causes of Death (LCOD) in Black Males in the U.S. 1. Heart Disease (24.1% of total deaths) 2. Cancer (19.7%...