A physician wrote to me, concerned that she’s seen no news coverage questioning why Sam’s Club stores across the country are offering free PSA screenings for men 40 and over to “celebrate men’s health month.” The events are apparently scheduled for this coming weekend, on June 14.
But not everyone is impressed by the promotion. There’s a Facebook page that announces, “Sam’s Club Announces Plan to Harm Nation’s Men.”
The stores say they’re giving away $150 worth of screenings. Not only the PSA blood tests but also blood pressures, BMI, cholesterol and glucose tests, etc.
A few questions for Sam’s Club:
Sam’s Club shoppers, we know you have a lot of decision-making on your mind as you travel down the aisles of cheap toilet paper, overstocked blue jeans and sweatshirts, gas grills, cameras, tires, TVs, frozen food and more.
But we suggest you make your upcoming shopping trip a bit more complicated by considering the bulleted questions above.
Or take a look at the infographic below, which the National Cancer Institute offers on its website. Because I bet you won’t get this kind of data at Sam’s Club.
Then, once you consider the tradeoffs – the potential benefits and the potential harms – you can make whatever choice you wish. But it should be an informed choice – not just something you do willy-nilly because a store is offering it for free.
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