Men’s Health month highlights disturbing trends

June marks Men’s Health Month, a crucial time to spotlight the health disparities faced by Black men in the United States. Black men suffer worse health outcomes than any other racial group in America, with the lowest life expectancy and the highest death rates from specific causes compared to other racial and ethnic groups.More than 17 million Black men in the U.S. face significant health challenges. Statistically, Black men live seven years less than men of other racial groups and have higher death rates for all leading causes of death compared to Black women. They experience higher incidences and death rates from oral cancer and a much higher risk of developing HIV/AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that Black men are disproportionately affected by diabetes, prostate cancer, and preventable oral diseases.Factors contributing to these disparities include racial discrimination, high incarceration rates, unemployment, lack of affordable health services, poor health education, cultural barriers, poverty, limited access to health insurance, and insufficient medical and social services tailored to Black men.The leading causes of death for Black men highlight these health disparities starkly. In 2019, the CDC reported that heart disease accounted for 23.7 percent of total deaths among...