Westmoreland men overcome stigma of digital rectal exam

Western Bureau:

Scores of men over 40 gathered on Thursday in the Savanna-la-Mar Independence Park for a free health screening hosted by the Misty Blue Cancer Care Foundation in partnership with the Westmoreland Health Department.

Under the theme ‘Man Up and Give Prostate Cancer the Finger: Save Your Nuts’, the event offered prostate cancer screenings along with checks for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart health, and HIV.

For many men, the opportunity to access these services free of cost was too important to miss.

“I’m here to do a series of tests,” shared Victor Sangster, a visually impaired resident of Chantilly Gardens in Savanna-la-Mar. “[I did] tests for prostate and sugar as well as pressure. Other tests were done as well for heart. It was very good, and the results were okay. People were very helpful and kind.”

Sangster, who has been blind for 10 years, said he makes it his duty to tell others about the importance of early testing.

“Many friends I have here in Westmoreland died as a result of prostate, and the reason why is that they did not get tests early enough,” he explained. “Many men in Jamaica are afraid of the finger, but I guess the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test can be done. If they don’t want to do the insertion of finger, they can do the PSA. It is very simple.”

The stigma around prostate testing, particularly the digital rectal exam (DRE), is well known in Jamaica. Norman Cole, 70 years old, of Whitehall Estate in Negril, admitted that he once shared that fear.

INITIAL SCARE

“Initially, when I was much younger, I had the same scare in the sense that I don’t want anybody to go into my bottom with their finger,” he said candidly. “But after I got the scare and realised that it can be dangerous, I started to do it on a yearly basis.”

Cole explained that cost was also a factor.

“The first time I did it in Montego Bay, it was very expensive. What Misty Blue Foundation does is that it saves us at least $50,000 to $60,000 minimum,” he said. “If they’ve seen anything that is a little bit scary, they’ll contact us immediately, which I like about that. At that time, I’ll be able to go to Cornwall Regional (hospital) or follow up with a private doctor. So I’m really grateful for each year that they are doing this here in Westmoreland.”

For Rastoma Turner, the decision to get tested came with a gentle push from his wife.

“I have to big up my wife because she’s the one who encouraged me to come and test my prostate,” he said.

Turner further praised women, saying that their role in men’s health is vital as they ensure that the men stay in good health. Turner also admits that men can be stubborn, but when the women insist, they listen.

Additionally, one way in which the Westmoreland Health Department, and Jamaica on a whole, tries to encourage men to get their prostate examined is through family influence, especially through their wives and children.

Gerald Miller, promotion and education officer at the Westmoreland Health Department, said he was heartened by the turnout and the shift in men’s attitudes towards screening.

“We are very pleased with the support today, and it’s getting bigger and better every year,” Miller told The Gleaner. “We have observed in recent times that there is a keen interest in the men having their digital rectal as well as their PSA done, which is encouraging.”

Miller admitted that men are often sceptical about the DRE.

“From conversations, we found that they will do the DRE if a female is carrying out the process. So what we have done at the Westmoreland Health Department is ensure that anytime we are having this activity, our female doctors are the ones who undertake this activity. And that has been encouraging.”

The health officer also highlighted the wide range of free checks being offered.

“The National Health Fund is doing 100 blood pressures, 100 blood sugars and cholesterols, as well as BMIs. Fifty ECGs are also being provided. A lot of men tend not to have very good health-seeking behaviours, so them coming out to have their blood pressure and blood sugar checks done as well is something to be happy about.”

PASSION AND DRIVE

The passion and drive behind the initiative is the Misty Blue Cancer Care Foundation, founded by Dorothy Satchwell, who is a breast cancer survivor herself.

“This year is a remarkable year for us because it’s actually our 10th anniversary,” Satchwell said proudly. “We started back in 2015. The foundation evolved out of my cancer experience and the fact that I’m from the parish of Westmoreland, so I came back home to give back.”

Their target for the day was 150 men.

“If we get more, we’ll be happy,” Satchwell said.

She also acknowledged the many partners who make the screenings possible, including the Westmoreland Health Department, the Sandals Foundation, American Friends of Jamaica, National Insurance Scheme (NIS), National Health Fund (NHF), the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), the Red Cross, and the Diabetes Association.

“What we have aimed to do over the years is not only to zone in on cancer but to look at the whole man because we can’t look at your prostate or your breast or your pancreas and don’t look at your heart and your blood pressure and how it is that you can have optimal health,” she explained

Although the evening’s proceeding was met with bouts of rain, the men were not deterred from getting their health checked. The turnout, for one, showed that with persistent effort, stigma can be broken, health fears can be overcome, and lives can be saved.

Satchwell further captured the essence of the day, saying: “At the end of it, what we hope is that persons tap into the information, follow through, and take control of their health because if you think about cancer, it’s a non-communicable disease, and we have to look at the surrounding health issues that underpin somebody getting a cancer diagnosis. Our goal is to help people live longer, healthier lives.”

As for the men who braved the DRE, the PSA, or both, their responses showed they left knowing that they had taken a bold step in the right direction for their health.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com