Author speaks at barber shops to spread message about getting health check-ups
MINNEAPOLIS — There's a push going on to get more Black men to go the doctor more often.
According to the National Institute of Health, on average, Black men die more than 7 years earlier than U.S. women of all races.
Wilson's Image is known as a popular barber shop in north Minneapolis. But on Wednesday, it transformed into a space where author Aaron Perry shared his message.
Perry said he went to the doctor to complain about blurred vision, tingling of his feet, and constant urination. His doctor told him it was a sign of poor diabetic control.
A little more than a year later, he crossed the finish line of his first Iron Man.
"Bringing more attention to the barber shop, and why the barber shop really is a sacred place where Black men go, they respect the place, they feel comfortable," said Perry.
"A lot of the things Black men are dying from can be prevented, and we are ignoring all the warning signs," Perry added.
Perry's book tour is sponsored by Medica - a health insurance plan based in Minnetonka. The company is promoting the tour as a way of promoting health in a system where outcomes are very different.
Perry has started several clinics attached to barber shops and hopes to open more.
