Get those Ta-tas Checked, Sis.
I am going to shift gears here a little bit and instead of sharing some tips about how to grow your business, I am going to talk about something else – breast cancer.
More than likely, you already know October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The pink campaign you see throughout the month serves as a reminder of those who are in the middle of their fight and of those we lost.
We see posts about getting our mammograms, encouraging us to partner up with a friend to do monthly breast checks. Breast cancer is like every other cancer – it does not care who you are, what your job title is, or any of that stuff.
No, breast cancer does not play favorites. (It even can affect men as well.)
But, breast cancer does seem to present a higher risk for black women.
According to the CDC, black women and white women get breast cancer at about the same rate, but black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than white women (2016).
The reason why? Black women are more likely than white women to get triple-negative breast cancer, a kind of breast cancer that often is aggressive and comes back after treatment (CDC, 2016).
That is an alarming fact.
And it doesn’t stop there.
According to Susan G. Komen:
African-American Women in the U.S.
Die from breast cancer nearly 40% more than Caucasian women
Are often diagnosed at later stages when treatments are limited, costly and the prognosis is poor
Are often diagnosed younger and with more aggressive breast cancers
Factors that contribute to this include economic instability, community, and education. It’s a vicious cycle -- if a black woman doesn’t have insurance, she may not have access to quality medical care, which means she can’t get a mammogram. If she does happen to find a lump, it may be too late before she can get treatment.
We have to change this narrative.
What can you do?
Be proactive with your health.
Do your monthly self breast exams. Don’t know how? Visit here.
Schedule your mammogram.
Don’t wait and don’t fear. Early detection is key and 8 out of 10 of lumps that are found are benign. But for those 2 that are cancerous, early detection can help have better treatment outcomes.
Susan G. Komen also has a grass roots community-based program in Atlanta. Their information is:
Greater Atlanta Affiliate
3525 Piedmont Road 5-215
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 814-0052
Fax: (404) 814-0908
Email Address: info@komenatlanta.org
Taking care of yourself and your health is the best step you can ever take.
Get those ta-tas checked, sis.
Sources:
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/articles/breast_cancer_rates_women.htm
National Breast Cancer Foundation: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam
Susan G. Komen:
To find an affiliate: https://ww5.komen.org/affiliates.aspx
Closing the Breast Cancer Gap: https://ww5.komen.org/AAHealthEquity/?utm_source=herobanner&utm_medium=herobanner&utm_campaign=AAHealthEquity