Teeona Wilson is a senior studying public relations and advertising at the University.
Last month was October and you know what that meant: Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We happily donated money to foundations, attended various fundraisers and wore “Save the Boobies” wristbands.
But as November rolls in, the ribbons go away, the foundations become more recessive and the wristbands linger around — not because they’re symbols of hope, but because they’re cool.
Does this mean that in the months that aren’t October, we have permission to forget that breast cancer is one of the cancers that kills the most women?
When we purchase those little pink ribbons to flash on our backpacks, do the proceeds go to women who can’t afford treatment or do they go to the “research” used to help find a cure?
My grandmother died from breast cancer. I never knew her; I blame breast cancer for taking her away from me, even though I wasn’t even thought of yet. I’ve heard of my friend’s parents surviving breast cancer, which is a blessing. The only good thing — I use the term “good” very loosely — is that there is a cure for this terrible type of cancer.
In a recent study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, data shows that women of color were less likely to have records about their family’s health history.
Studies showed that 26 percent of minority women of color would have the necessary documentation to know their family’s health history. This lack of documentation suggests that maybe the doctors aren’t doing their jobs by telling their patients that learning their family history is, in fact, important to their health. This is something that should be stressed in all health-care facilities.
As an African-American female, I already am part of the millions of women who are going to be susceptible to getting this cancer. Whether I know my family’s history or not, I’m still capable of getting the disease simply because of my genetic makeup. Women of color are less likely to receive suitable treatment and are more likely to go untreated by doctors, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health. I’m curious to know why that is; I don’t
understand how a racial group could receive inappropriate treatment.
Problems involving the cost of treatment continue to add to the stress of most African-American cancer patients. Minority women, women living in rural areas and women living in poverty are all at risk for developing breast cancer and do not necessarily have the means to get free health care or pay for treatment once already diagnosed with the cancer.
Treatment should be paid for in full since these women are dying in large numbers. Some people might argue that everyone should be treated fairly, and if one racial group of women gets free treatment then every group should get the same deal. This would be true if only the other groups’ death toll was as high as the toll African-American women. Plans should be implemented and funds should be dispersed to supply affordable treatment and testing to African-American women.
The task at hand is to do a better job at informing women of color that they are the ones at risk and they should be educated about this vicious death sentence before it’s too late. It shouldn’t take millions of women dying each year to finally take this issue seriously.
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