Pin-A-Sister Sunday, May 11, 2008
A recent study by the Sinai Urban Health Institute has shown that African-American and Latino women die more often from breast cancer, even though they are less frequently diagnosed with the disease.
Chicago-based Access Community Health Network, and faith- and community-based organizations, as well as local political and media figures, are deeply concerned about this health care disparity and are lending their support to increase awareness about the problem.
Many faith leaders also have been moved by the dire statistics and have vowed to become proactive in making sure they do all they can to address the issue of disparities.
Last Mother’s Day, more than 65,000 people were pinned with pink ribbons at 50 African-American and Latino churches throughout Chicagoland as part of “Pin a Sister Sunday.”
“Pin-A-Sister” Sunday is aimed at celebrating breast cancer survivors and family members, and educating church members and the community at large about the importance of getting routine pap smears and mammograms.
Consequently, the initiative will be repeated this Mother’s Day, with the goal of having 200,000 people participate in this powerful movement.
The Sinai Urban Health Institute study, which was funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health, reveals that, despite advances in and increased awareness of mammography screening and drastically better health outcomes for white women, the death rates of African American women from breast cancer have not improved. Research did not include Latinas, as many return to their countries of origin once they’re diagnosed with a serious disease, which causes local death rates to be under-reported. However, it is logical to surmise that death rates for Latinas from breast cancer have also not improved.
The mortality rate for Black women in Chicago is 68 percent higher than that of white women. In a nutshell, women of color are dying from breast cancer at the same rate they were 20 years ago.
The study cited possible reasons for the disparity as a lack of access to preventive screenings resulting in late stage detection, lack of access to affordable mammography, women lost to follow-up and the quality of mammography.
Currently, the state-wide Stand Against Cancer program, as well as recent funding by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, provides thousands of underserved women in Illinois seamless access to low-cost or free breast and cervical cancer screenings, diagnostic testing and treatment.
The Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force, on which I serve as co-chair, is also working to address these disparities so fewer women have to choose between seeking screening and using money for household expenses.
As this Mother’s Day approaches and people around the area join to celebrate the lives of women lost to breast or cervical cancer, as well as those courageous women living with these diseases, Access Community Health Network is committed to decreasing the disparities level, so all women have a fighting chance!
For more information about how your church or health care organization can become involved in “Pin-A-Sister” Sunday, please call 1-888-SAC-HOPE.