October 10, 2006
Being A Black Man
The Washington Post has an excellent series titled, 'Being A Black Man.'
The most recent article in the series, 'His Last, Best Cause', chronicles an activist who neglected his own health.
In his final days, as he underwent grueling chemotherapy, Smith said he was fighting for Asha -- "I've got to see the man she marries," he cried. But in the end, he was no match for colorectal cancer -- or his own failure to seek medical treatment.
Smith, 54, like many other black men, died before his time. Black men have a life expectancy of 69 years, six years less than white men and far shorter than men of other ethnic group. They are more than twice as likely to die from cancer as white men, according to the National Cancer Institute, and nine times as likely as white men to die of AIDS. They suffer from lung disease, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and other chronic illnesses in disproportionate numbers that alarm health-care professionals.
The entire series is worth the read. Additionally, there is a good discussion thread about health care education and awareness here.
Send news items related to health disparities to ReduceDisparity(AT)case.edu
Posted by David Porter at 10:06 AM
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Category: Health; Health Inequities; racial differences
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