The barriers Black men face in accessing healthcare are major contributors of the disproportionate rates of chronic disease, prostate cancer, and HIV/AIDS, particularly among those who are poor with limited literacy. However, as a space typically associated with information sharing and community, barbershops offer a unique setting for removing key barriers such as cost, literacy, proximity, and trust.

As venues frequented by Black men and boys, barbershops offer a unique setting for influencing attitudes, knowledge, and experiences. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine makes a strong case for barbershop interventions as a model for treating men with hypertension. The study found that when a group of men with untreated high blood pressure got a screening and a friendly nudge from their barber, as well as a visit to the shop from a pharmacist, close to two-thirds of the men brought their blood pressure into a healthy range.

Barbers Without Borders (BWB) is a project designed with these findings at the forefront. While the concept of integrating healthcare into barbershop settings isn’t new, previous efforts such as the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP), Cut Hypertension, and the Men’s Health Initiative at NYU focus entirely on screening for specific diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. TRAPMedicine takes a broader approach by helping build barbershop capacity, training barbers on the basics of mental health, sexual health, and chronic disease, and partnering with local healthcare providers to strengthen and sustain the barbershop-based health intervention model beyond our involvement.

As part of this effort we bring a team of physicians, health professional students, and volunteers into barbershops to conduct basic preventive screenings and provide education. We also lead workshops on topics related to health disparities, motivational interviewing/counseling, and community building.