Barbeshops Serve As A Source Of Health News

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

i (NAPSA)—Long before the Internet and 24-hour cable news, in many communities the barbershop served as a clearinghouse for information. Men would gather to socialize, trade opinions—and sometimes even get a haircut. Taking advantage of the status barbershops can have as trusted newsoutlets, a new digital, grassroots effort has been announced that will bring important health messages directly to African-American and Latino men in the communities where they workandlive. The Prostate Net www.prostatenet.org Participating barbershops will have interactive computer sys- tems where customers can learn about prostate cancer, its risk fac- tors and treatment options—while they wait for their haircut. A project of The Prostate Net and Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Division of Educational Technology, “Wired Barbershops” are a complement to “Going to the Barbershop to Fight Cancer,” a national health awareness campaign that urges men to get checked for prostate cancer. Conceived by Prostate Net founder and president Virgil Simons, the program includes an extensive network of barbers who serve as “lay health motivators,” trained at nearly 60 medical centers throughout the country. Experts say prostate cancer is the single most diagnosed of all cancers and the second-leading cause of cancer death in men. African-American men have an incidence rate 59 percent greater A new campaign will use barbershops to provide men with news about prostate cancer. than white males and a death rate 128 percent higher than white men. Latino/Hispanic males have the third highest rates of prostate cancer incidence and death. Each “Wired Barbershop” kiosk will feature interactive educational videos and information. There will be a voluntary survey to assist health professionals in better understanding communities-at-risk, leading to moreeffective treatment options and disease management. Men who complete the survey receive a coupon for a free haircut. The “Wired Barbershops” are part of “The Knowledge Net” (www.theknowledgenet.info), an umbrella health education campaign that will ultimately provide information regarding heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health issues. The Prostate Net’s “Wired Barbershop” program is supported by the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation, Celgene Corporation and Sanofi Aventis Oncology. To learn more, visit www. prostate-online.org/barbershop or call 1.888.4PROSNET (1.888.477. 6763).

--- PHOTOS ---

File: 20190731-145314-20190731-145312-64806.pdf.jpg

--- FILES ---

File: 20190731-145312-64806.pdf