Getting tested is great, supporting awareness shouldn’t be taboo

𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 “𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥.” 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘗𝘚𝘈 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘗𝘚𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴. 𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘚𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭.

GREAT BAY--A man decides to have his PSA checked. He gets the blood test, receives the result, speaks with his doctor and continues with whatever follow-up is necessary. For many men, that entire process remains known only to themselves, their doctor and perhaps their partner. There is nothing wrong with that. Medical information is personal, and no man should feel obligated to disclose his PSA number, diagnosis or treatment to anyone.

But there is another question worth asking during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: why should supporting prostate cancer awareness also have to remain private?

Men publicly support heart health, diabetes awareness, breast cancer campaigns and numerous other health causes. Yet prostate cancer can still produce discomfort. Some men will wear a ribbon for almost any cause but hesitate when the ribbon represents a disease involving the prostate. Others may encourage a friend to see a doctor privately but would never appear in a photograph or video encouraging men generally to get checked.

That hesitation deserves attention because prostate cancer is not simply a medical issue. For some men, it touches ideas about masculinity, sexual function, aging and vulnerability that they would rather not discuss.

Research has documented this problem. A review examining prostate cancer stigma among Black men found that concerns surrounding masculinity, examinations, treatment side effects and social interaction can influence how men think and communicate about the disease. The review examined studies from several countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, although its findings should not automatically be treated as representing every Caribbean community or St. Maarten specifically.

Other research involving Black African and Black Caribbean men has similarly found that misunderstandings about prostate cancer testing and treatment, along with concerns about masculinity, can influence willingness to seek testing or discuss the disease. Researchers have also found instances where men diagnosed with prostate cancer chose not to disclose their diagnosis even to some relatives because of stigma and masculinity concerns.

None of this means that men should be pushed into revealing private medical information.

There is an important difference between privacy and silence.

A man can support prostate cancer awareness without telling anyone whether he has ever had an abnormal PSA. He does not have to announce that he underwent a biopsy. He does not have to discuss erectile dysfunction, urinary problems or any other intimate aspect of his health. He does not even have to say whether prostate cancer has personally affected him.

He can simply encourage other men to take their health seriously.

That contribution could be as simple as wearing a blue ribbon, sharing credible information, participating in an awareness photograph, encouraging friends to speak with their doctors or publicly reminding men that having a PSA discussion is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Imagine the difference if more businessmen, athletes, musicians, teachers, politicians, pastors, community leaders, fathers and grandfathers were willing to lend their voices to that message. Not because they have prostate cancer, but because men's health is important.

Visibility helps make conversations normal.

When men see other men discussing screening without embarrassment, the subject becomes less unusual. When a respected community figure says that men should know their risk and speak with their doctor, it may reach someone who has ignored the same message on a medical poster.

Men who have actually experienced prostate cancer can also have a particularly important voice, if they choose to use it. Personal experience can sometimes communicate what statistics cannot. Hearing another man describe why he got tested, what he feared, what he learned and why he believes other men should pay attention can make the issue feel real.

But that must always remain his choice.

Studies of men with prostate cancer have found several reasons some choose limited disclosure, including concerns about stigma, wanting to maintain normality, not wanting sympathy and not wanting to burden other people. Research has also found that some men are reluctant to seek emotional or psychosocial support because they want privacy or anticipate awkward conversations.

Those concerns should be respected, not mocked.

At the same time, prostate cancer awareness cannot depend entirely on men who have been diagnosed. That places an unfair burden on patients and survivors. The wider male population can carry the message too.

A man does not need cancer before prostate cancer becomes his concern.

Friends can talk to friends. Brothers can remind brothers. Sons can ask fathers about family history. Fathers can tell adult sons what illnesses have occurred in the family. Men can discuss PSA testing without turning the conversation into a joke about examinations or sexual function.

Families also have an important role. Many men finally seek medical attention because a wife, girlfriend, daughter, son or close friend keeps encouraging them to make the appointment. Prostate cancer awareness may focus on men, but the people who care about those men are part of the conversation too.

For St. Maarten, that conversation matters. Local health initiatives have already demonstrated that men will participate when opportunities are available. St. Maarten Medical Center reported that more than 150 men received prostate cancer and other preventive screenings during its 2025 Men's Health Day. That shows men will show up. The next challenge is making the conversation surrounding those decisions just as normal.

Your PSA result can remain private.

A diagnosis can remain private.

Treatment can remain private.

But supporting the idea that men should pay attention to their prostate health should not be something anyone feels embarrassed to do.

We spend a great deal of time telling men to get checked. Perhaps part of prostate cancer awareness must also involve creating a culture in which men are comfortable telling other men that getting checked is normal.

You do not have to tell the world your medical history to add your voice.

Sometimes saying “Men, take your health seriously” is enough.

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