This Breast Cancer Awareness month has us thinking a lot about what it means for Black women to take care of our health.
Black women were recently added to the high-risk group for breast cancer even though deaths from breast cancer have dropped by 38% overall. White women are actually more likely than Black women to develop the disease, but mortality rates for Black women are much higher. Because apparently, we didn’t have enough challenges to overcome.
So let’s dig into what’s really happening here. The tumors in Black women tend to be harder to treat than those in white women, and research to figure out why that is is still developing. Another huge factor is access to care. Findings also show that Black women often have delays in follow-up care after mammograms due to factors such as lack of access to transportation or insufficient appointment availability.
Even Susan G. Komen recognizes the racial disparities and just launched the Know Your Girls campaign, which specifically addresses breast health for Black women! The campaign is helping us learn about our unique breast health needs by encouraging us to get screened regularly for early detection – a key factor in reducing mortality rates. The campaign website lets women learn their risk factors, explore family health history, take quizzes to find resources about breast health, and offers prevention tips.
(Click on the right arrow to watch the campaign video and learn more.)
We all know that representation in the medical field is a huge problem, which is why we love that Know Your Girls is hosting conversations with Black women doctors, sharing Black women’s health stories, and demystifying breast health.
If you’re looking for more Black women exemplifying strength and vulnerability, we’re obsessed with Serena Williams’ recently released breast cancer awareness video where she sings a version of the Divinyls’ hit song, “I Touch Myself.”