Men's Health

Jul 5, 2023
5 min read

Updated: Jul 17, 2023

This June, we will celebrate Father’s Day. This is also an opportunity to promote men’s health and highlight disparities in health inequities that may exist as a result of socio- economic and other factors. In general, men are less likely to seek primary preventive care. Many men do not see a doctor until the later stages of physical/mental health. Seeing a doctor in the early stages of an illness can be the difference between life and death. There are many barriers to men receiving preventive primary care. One of these factors is health coverage. Those men working int the gig economy as uber drivers and other part time employment may be more likely of being uninsured.

Despite small gains in health coverage across racial and ethnic groups, between 2010 and 2021 reflecting policies adopted during the pandemic, non-elderly AAIAN, Hispanic, NHOPI and Black people remained more likely to be uninsured compared to their white counterparts. A 2023 study on the social determinants of health by the Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that men live longer and healthier lives and are there to take care of their families with routine medical screening. The BHE foundation would like to highlight the following health disparities:

Cardiovascular Disease – The Center for Disease Control, (CDC) reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US across ethnic groups. About half of men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms and 70 – 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men. Some of the contributing factors to heart disease include poor diet, uncontrolled high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, stress, sedentary lifestyle and excessive alcohol use. Forty seven percent of black adults have been diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases compared with 30% of white adults.
High Blood pressure - Black men are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure. High blood pressure if left untreated can lead to serious consequences such as stroke and cardiovascular disease. The latest data also show that black adults are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have their blood pressure under control.
Prostate Cancer- About 12 out of 100 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime according to the National Cancer Institute. The good news is that with early detection and proper treatment – most men will survive prostate cancer. For black men, the risk of dying from low grade prostate cancer is double that of men from other races. Black African American men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as compared to non-Hispanic white men. African American men and Caribbean men of African ancestry are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Other Cancers – Another study by the New York State Department of health found that Black African American men have lower 5-year cancer survival rate for most cancer sites as compared to non-Hispanic white men. In terms of types of cancer found in Brooklyn, prostate cancer is still the cancer with highest incidence for men followed by lung, colon and colorectal cancer.
Mental Health – More recently, many celebrities both male and female have come forward and revealed that they were suffering with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. For many men, it still is difficult to admit that they have a mental health problem due to the shame and stigma. Men from a variety of ethnic and cultural groups may not believe in therapy. Depression symptoms in men may present itself as rage, anger and overuse of alcohol and drugs to numb their feelings. A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that mental health conditions occur in Black and African American people in America at the same or less frequency than whites. However, the African- American experience in America continues to be characterized by trauma and violence more often than their white counterparts and impacts mental and emotional health of both youth and adults overall, mental health.
Drug Use – The Stepping Stone Center for Recovery, based in Brooklyn documented the rising addiction within the borough in a 2023 report. The availability of assorted drugs has increased steadily In Brooklyn. The prime drug threat in Brooklyn is cocaine and heroin. Brooklyn has the second largest number of overdose deaths in 2021. Drug overdose mortality is rising precipitously among black people who use drugs in NYC. The overdose mortality rate is now highest in the Black population, (38.2 per 100,00) followed by Latinx (33.6) per 100,00 and white (32.7 per 100,000. Male Brooklyn residents had almost three times the rate of unintentional overdose deaths; the death rate for Brooklyn resident 12.80 per 100,000 for males compared to 4.3 per 100,000 in female.
Incarceration – Minority populations are overrepresented in the jail population. In Brooklyn, the latest data from the Vera Institute indicated that that 27% of Black and 16% of Hispanic men compared to white men were jailed by the age of 38. In Brooklyn, 68.7% of the incarcerated population were Black, 22.8% were Hispanic, 7.5%, white. 1.50 Asian and 2.40% other racial ethnic groups
Diabetes – According to the New York State Department of Health, in Brooklyn, an estimated 11.7 % of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes. In 2018, African American adults were more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. In 2019, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from Diabetes.
HIV/AIDS – Data from the New York City health department surveillance annual report showed thatof all men newly diagnosed with HIV in 2020, 59% were MSM; of all new diagnoses among MSM,78% were among Black or Latino MSM, 79% of whom were ages 20 -39 years.Nearly half of New Yorkers newly diagnosed with HIV in 2020 lived in neighborhoods of high or very high poverty.

To promote Men’s Health, the BHE Foundation encourages all men to take the following steps:

Get a check-up for preventive primary care. If you don’t have health insurance or a primary care provider, you can contact: www.newyorkhealthcoverage.org
Know your numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol level and blood sugar. If any of your health indicators are not within the normal range, follow up with your health care provider.
Take your medication if recommended and prescribed by a doctor. Some men do not like to take blood pressure medication, but your doctor can offer different kinds of medications that may minimize side effects.
Monitor your heart health. Know the risk factors that you can control such as high blood pressure and diet. For more information, contact: www.heart.org
Watch your diet and try to eat a diet low in salt and sugar and, when possible, cook your own meals. Fast foods and food offered in many restaurants often contain a high degree of salt, sugar and oil. Try to eat more fruit and vegetables. For a listing of farmer’s markets in your neighborhood, contact www.grownyc.org
Control your stress level and contact a mental health provider if you need one. There are many free or low-cost culturally sensitive mental health practitioners available to help. For more information, contact www.nycwell.cityof new York.us/end and www.nami.org .
Get some exercise. The Center for Disease Control, (CDC) recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Brooklyn Prospect Park has great walking and bike trails. For more information, contact www.cdc.gov.
Practice safe sex.