Editor’s note: The following commentary was penned by Roper St. Francis Healthcare-affiliated Primary Care Physician Dr. Thaddeus Bell for The Post and Courier.
I’ve always known the barbershop to be more than a place to get a haircut. In the African American community, it’s a trusted gathering space where men can relax, connect and share what’s on their minds. Recently, Confidence Thru the Art of Barbering in Moncks Corner and Diamond Cutz in North Charleston became that and more: They became spaces where men were willing to have honest conversations about their health.
This transformation was made possible through “Barbershop Talks,” a powerful initiative in which I partnered with Roper St. Francis Healthcare to bring health experts into trusted community spaces to talk openly about issues that too often go unaddressed.
Men’s health is something we don’t talk about enough. In particular, prostate cancer is a subject many men fear. Cancer is what many folks in my community know as the “C word,” and even hearing that can make people shut down. But silence and avoidance only increase the risks. The truth is, early detection saves lives, and we need more opportunities like these to break through fear and stigma.
At the two Barbershop Talks I attended in August, I had the chance to share my own journey with prostate cancer. As a physician, I have always encouraged men to get screened. But as a survivor myself, I know firsthand the importance of catching this disease early. I also know how hard it can be to start the conversation. That’s why these events matter: They create a safe space where men can learn, ask questions and feel supported.
For many men, especially African American men, a hospital or doctor’s office can feel intimidating. But when health care providers step outside traditional settings and meet men where they are — in barbershops, neighborhoods and other familiar spaces — barriers begin to fall. Trust begins to build. And lives can be saved.
The numbers are sobering: One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and African American men are more than twice as likely to die from it as white men. That reality is why I’ve devoted much of my career to reducing health disparities and improving health literacy among underserved populations through my nonprofit Closing the Gap in Health Care, by making health make sense. It’s also why I am proud to partner with Roper St. Francis Healthcare and bring conversations and screenings directly to the community.
If you are a man over 40, or if you have a family history of prostate cancer, I encourage you: Don’t wait. Take advantage of the free prostate cancer screening event Roper St. Francis Healthcare is offering on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 730 Stoney Landing Road in Moncks Corner. To register, call (843) 402-CARE or visit rsfh.com/calendar.
A simple test could save your life — just as it did mine.
Dr. Thaddeus Bell is founder of Closing the Gap in Health Care, whose motto is “Making Health Make Sense.”
