Black men have the lowest life expectancy of any group in America, and much of that is due to health disparities that have been attributed to socioeconomic factors, differences in the way they perceive medical care and the way they’re treated compared with other groups.
The MetroHealth System will hold the 20th annual Men’s Health Fair on Saturday, April 27, at two locations in the Cleveland area. The free event focuses on Black men, who are far less likely to access medical care, but is open to men and women of all races.
Primary care physicians and specialists will provide dozens of routine screenings, answer health questions and share educational resources.
MetroHealth’s Dr. Charles Modlin said he hopes this year’s partnership with the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College will connect more young men to the health system.
“Men of color, a lot of times, shun doctors, hospitals, because many individuals have internalized the feeling that nobody cares, or society doesn't care about them as Black men," he said.
Many men also put off going to the doctor if they feel unwell, which can prevent early detection of some diseases, Modlin added.
“In situations with colorectal cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, if we can get to them in time, we actually can prevent many of these situations," he said. "We can treat them, we can cure them."
Modlin said he personally knows several men whose cancer was detected at the health fair, despite not experiencing any symptoms prior to that.
The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at Tri-C’s Metro Campus Alex B. Johnson Center and MetroHealth’s Cleveland Heights Medical Center. Additional details are available online.
