Men of color face unique health challenges, but help is available Doctor says breaking the "tough it out" mentality could save lives as suicide rates climb among Black men. Men of color in Cleveland face a dangerous myth that could be costing lives: the belief that they must "tough it out" until health problems become unbearable before seeking medical care. Dr. Randy Vince, director of minority men's health at University Hospitals in Cleveland, says this mentality prevents early detection of serious conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer—diseases that often show no symptoms until they reach advanced stages. "Usually it does not matter the medical condition when we're talking about hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, or even cancer like prostate cancer. You don't have symptoms until things are really advanced," Vince explained during a recent interview. The consequences extend beyond physical health. Suicide rates are increasing among Black men specifically, a trend Vince calls "very preventable" if men can be connected with mental health resources earlier. "The rates of suicide are actually increasing in black men specifically, and so I think if we can start to again dispel this myth that you can tough it out, I don't need to see a mental health professional, we can actually end up saving a lot of men," he said.