During the month of June, AAHP observes Men's Health Month to focus on health and wellness issues that pertain to men, especially Black men. While men have physical and mental/emotional health needs just as women do, men seem less willing to embrace healthy living decisions like getting regular check-ups, exercising, making healthy food choices, quitting smoking and taking care of their mental health. In addition, African American men in particular are more severely impacted by the health disparities that affect the Black community at large, and they also face unique threats to their safety. The result: African American men have the shortest life expectancy of any demographic.
These statistics are a call to action for Black men to be more vigilant about their health:
Black men are 30% more likely to die from heart disease and 60% more likely to die from stroke than White men.
Black men are almost twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than White men.
HIV/AIDS is almost 7 times as prevalent in Black men than in White men, and Black men are 9 times more likely to die from AIDS than White men.
These challenges are best addressed when Black men educate themselves on preventing chronic diseases and follow through by making healthy lifestyle choices such as not smoking, exercising, eating a nutritious diet, limiting alcohol consumption, and other health-promoting habits. AAHP’s Brother 2 Brother Talks provide a forum for African American men to learn about and discuss their lives and the health issues that impact them. By offering tools, resources, and support in a non-judgmental environment, AAHP is helping to make good health a reality for Black men in Montgomery County.
The African American Health Program is funded and administered by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and implemented by McFarland & Associates, Inc.
