Boris Kodjoe is on a mission to help more men take action when it comes to their prostate.

For Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the veteran actor teamed up with Depend for their Stand Strong for Men’s Health campaign as they aim to change the stigma surrounding men and their health.

“In 2020, Depend introduced the Stand Strong for Men’s Health initiative with two goals: driving awareness around the link between prostate cancer and incontinence, and helping consumers take action through their purchase,” said Drew Phillips, Senior Director for the North American Depend Brand, in a press release. “We look forward to expanding those efforts this year through our partnership with actor and health advocate Boris Kodjoe and an increased donation goal of $350,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.”

For Kodjoe, this initiative — which launched in September 2021 — has a deeper meaning after watching a loved one struggle with prostate cancer.

“This partnership hit home on a very personal level as a close friend of mine was diagnosed with prostate cancer and another died 3 months ago,” said Kodjoe in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. “This woke me up for my responsibility to get checked and alleviate the stigma and fear in having these conversations.”

As a part of the initiative, Depend pledged over $350,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The aim is to support studies that include the Smith Polygenic Risk Test for Prostate Cancer and detect early-stage disease in Black men, who are 75 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from the disease.

“I am tremendously proud and excited to partner with Depend ® on Stand Strong for [the] Men’s Health™ campaign benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation to remove the stigma around the conversation surrounding Prostate Cancer,” Kodjoe told AfroTech. “1 in 8 Men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1 in 4 Black Men. We need to have those conversations to alleviate the stigma and have periodical medical checkups.”

Click here for more on how to contribute to the Stand Strong for Men’s Health Initiative.

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