CLEVELAND — Getting your routine health screenings is already personal as it is, but for Gary Jackson coming to the Minority Men's Health Fair at MetroHealth is even more personal because he's quickly reminded of when he visited the fair back in 2017.
"I thought I was suffering from diabetes. I took a PSA test, and after the PSA test, my numbers were slightly high," Jackson said.
It was the fair that he says helped him learn that he had prostate cancer, and miraculously he's now a five-year survivor.
"It did save my life, by the grace of God," said Jackson.
Walking through the fair on MetroHealth's main campus, we found a lot of men who look like Jackson, have similar health issues, and have similar stories.
"Some Black men just don't go to the doctor; they won't go to the doctor whether it's because they don't have healthcare insurance, or they just don't trust doctors right now," Jackson said.
According to the National Institutes of Health, Black men die younger than all other groups of men except Native Americans, and Black men are more likely than anyone to have undiagnosed or poorly managed chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
It is why Dr. Charles Modlin created the free Minority Men's Health Fair over 19 years ago. It's for all men, but it's specifically aimed at men of color, especially Black men.
"We're breaking down a lot of the barriers that prevented men of color from seeking access to care. The word is getting out to the community of the importance of undergoing preventative health screenings, not waiting or thinking that you have to have signs or symptoms," said Modlin.
Thursday's health fair also inspired newer ways for a newer generation.
At just 13 years old, Amyis Glover said he's being proactive.
"Being this young, it's good to know what to look out for when you get older, even though you may think that you don't need it. The time comes quicker than you think it will," said Amyis .
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