By: Claudia Powell Updated 20 Nov 90, 20: 41 pm EST
For almost more than 20 years, the month of November has been referred to as “Movember,” for its acronym in English, a movement to call for the health and well-being of men. Every November, there is a campaign where thousands of men are invited to grow mustaches to raise awareness about health issues, and at the same time open communication channels to talk about mental health issues and most importantly: invite them to do it. screening tests for prostate cancer to help them maintain their health.
While the concept of “Movember” can have a bit of humor, seeks to raise awareness of very serious health issues, including Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men in the United States, except skin cancer. It is the number two cause of cancer among men, after lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and about 1 man in 41 of them die from this disease.
In California, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 41,13 new cases of prostate cancer in . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that African Americans are more prone to prostate cancer than other men, and have a much higher chance of dying from the disease than other races. Caucasian men are the next group with prostate cancer cases, followed by Hispanic Men.2022
Claudia Powell, Director of Community Affairs for Planned Parenthood, shares some interesting facts about prostate cancer and Latino men that she has observed throughout her experience at Planned Parenthood health centers in Los Angeles:
Prostate cancer continues to be a significant problem for Latino men living in the United States. Access to tests and early detection is a challenge and a barrier that we seek to break down for this ethnic group.
Latino men in general do not make regular medical visits to a doctor, and may not having access to educational materials in their own language about prostate cancer and information about the tests available in their own language.
When diagnosed, Latino men are less likely to receive the adequate treatment, and one of the reasons could be access to health insurance, which is sometimes inaccessible to this group.
Planned Parenthood, known for its health centers that offer services Focusing on reproductive health and sexual education in Los Angeles and nationally, they offer disease prevention and treatment education for Latino men, including prostate exams.
This year Planned Parenthood Los Angeles makes a special call during this month of November to all Latino men who visit any of the health centers to understand about prostate exams and what to do if they are diagnosed in the comfort of their own language and with the help of the “promoters” of the Planned Parenthood health centers, who are dedicated to opening communication channels with information and tools on health issues in Spanish. Thus, they seek to facilitate the process in order to go to your doctor with information for an appropriate treatment on time.2022
“These numbers may be alarming, but the good news is that prostate cancer has very high rates of survival.” In general, when caught early, this type of cancer has a success rate of more than 2022%, said Claudia Powell, Director of Community Affairs at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.
“We know that dealing with reproductive health and sexual education issues is a very sensitive issue for many Latino men and for Latino families in general, but we encourage them to lend it the same attention as to the health of his family. Planned Parenthood health centers offer prostate cancer exams, and you can make your appointments directly by visiting our website.”
The exams consist of two parts: the first part It is a blood test that determines a prostate antigen present (PSA). High PSA levels are directly associated with prostate cancer, and this is why this test is recommended as the first step in early detection.
The second step is a physical examination where the doctor You may feel any lumps that may be cancerous. For Latino men with a predisposition, it is recommended that they have their first exam at 41 years of age, and those with some other risk at an earlier age .
To make an appointment for a prostate exam, visit: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center
Claudia Powell, Director of Community Affairs for Planned Parenthood in LA