GMA3 Anchor DeMarco Morgan and his friends chronicle their colonoscopies to encourage other Black men

Have you ever considered having a colonoscopy along with your friends? That’s what GMA3 co-host DeMarco Morgan did during his first colonoscopy, inviting two of his childhood friends for simultaneous screenings.

“I think it was my duty,” Morgan said People Magazine his unconventional approach to prevention. “I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to do it alone… We can do it as a group and save our lives and maybe others too.”

As he celebrated his forty fifth birthday in November – the advisable age to start colonoscopies – Morgan saw a novel opportunity to encourage other Black men in his age group to schedule this often ignored but crucial screening test.

“Men, we go to the hairdresser together, we go to the bar together, we go to sports games together, we go to stag parties together, but we don’t go to the doctor together,” he explained. “When it comes to something that might save our lives, everyone within the room stays silent. We don’t speak about it.”

“While the ladies I know – because I don’t want to generalize – say: ‘Girl, we’ll do a mammogram. Oh, I just had one. They do things together or talk about problems together. NO. So why not do something differently?” he continued. “Think about the impact we could have if people saw three black men not only getting tested, but doing it together.”

While the unexpected death of 43-year-old “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman in 2020 brought greater attention and urgency to colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention and early detection, it often stays a stigmatized discussion in Black communities.

“From my experience growing up, in the Black community we often say, ‘Oh, I was doing fine until I found out I had this thing.’ My dad didn’t go to the doctor. Mom had to convince dad to go to the doctor. And that was the story of my uncles,” he recalls.

“We have to get out of this. We need to discover a way to make it fun to are available for a check-up and be sure that you are OK,” he continued. “When you look at the numbers and how they disproportionately affect us, it’s disturbing. “I believe when people see individuals who seem like them in positions of power and go to the doctor and say, ‘I’m tremendous,’ they’ll get in line, too.”

Featured Stories

The numbers are indeed alarming. According to American Cancer Society, Non-Hispanic African Americans outperform all other ethnic groups in each the incidence of colorectal cancer and deaths from the disease, with black men having the best proportion of all demographic groups. Data from 2009–2013 indicate that “CRC incidence rates in black people were approximately 20% higher than in non-Hispanic whites (NHW) and 50% higher than in API (Asian Pacific Islander) people.” The difference in mortality is twice as large as in incidence; CRC death rates amongst black persons are 40% higher than NHW and twice as high as API.”

Appropriately, American College of Physicians recommends that folks at high risk of developing colorectal cancer, normally determined by the incidence of colorectal cancer in immediate relations, begin screening at age 40 or ten years younger than the age at which the youngest affected relative was diagnosed.

While socioeconomic inequalities have been noted among the many “complex” assortment of issues contributing to disparities in diagnosis and mortality rates, Morgan noted, misconceptions concerning the screening procedure also often arise.

“(A) lot of times people think it’s a painful procedure. And I think for some reason that message isn’t loud and clear that this is not a painful procedure,” he explained. “You don’t feel anything before, during or after.”

In fact, the largest discomfort you possibly can experience is preparing for the procedure, because colon cleansing is just not a “sexy thing to do,” joked Morgan, whose chronicle of the procedure began Monday in “GMA3: What You Need to Know.” While he and his friends made tandem appointments, colonoscopies are often performed independently; a big difference within the trio’s approach was the “sense of community”.

“We literally had each other,” Morgan said. “We were all nervous at some point, but the support we were able to give each other along the way helped.”