Digital rectal examinations and prostate cancer screening: attitudes of African American men.

  • 1 September 1995
    • journal article
    • Vol. 22  (8) , 1253-5
Abstract
To explore the relationship between attitudes toward digital rectal examination (DRE) and participation in prostate cancer screening among African American men. Survey. Prostate cancer screenings with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test held at churches with African American members in Detroit, MI. 613 African American men between the ages of 40 and 70. Self-administered, structured questionnaires examining attitudes toward DRE, past experiences with DRE, and fear of cancer. Willingness to undergo DRE. The majority of men who were screened had positive attitudes about DRE. Fear of cancer was associated with negative attitudes toward DRE. DREs were not a deterrent among men who attended the screenings. Negative attitudes toward DRE do not necessarily deter African American men from participating in prostate cancer screenings. Prostate cancer screening programs should attempt to use both DRE and PSA. More reliable prostate cancer indicators are obtained by incorporating DRE with PSA tests.

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