Statistics show that one in six men will have prostate cancer, but a Birmingham-based health foundation is offering a 10-minute exam to help reduce that rate.

Urology Health Foundation is commemorating Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, celebrated in September, with free early detection cancer exams to be held in health departments in Perry, Hale, Wilcox and Marengo County through Nov. 15. Established in 2003, the Urology Health Foundation is nonprofit organization dedicated to educating physicians and other medical professionals in new techniques and procedures used in the urology field.

The group also raises awareness about prostate cancer by offering free prostate screenings across the state.

“We primarily concentrate in the Black Belt area, because that is where the need is the most,” Dr. Thomas Moody, president and founder of the Urology Health Foundation, said. “That is where the most people are uninsured.”

Alabama has the third highest death rate for prostate cancer in the nation, according to the Birmingham division of the Urology Centers of Alabama.

Because prostate cancer does not have any noticeable symptom in its early stages, early detection exams are highly recommended to maximize a male’s chance of discovering the cancer during its most curable stages.

Screenings involve a simple blood test and physical exam, according to the foundation.

The group is scheduled to head to the Perry County Health Department on Sept. 20; the Hale County Health Department on Oct. 11; the Wilcox County Health Department on Nov. 1 and the Marengo County Health Department on Nov. 15.

All screenings will be held between 10 a.m. and 2p.m.

For more information, call the Urology Health Foundation at (205) 930-0920 or visit UrologyHealthFoundation.org.