The Black Women's Health Crisis
It is important to understand that race itself is not the risk, poverty, misconception of risk, lessened access to routine health care, stigma, and lack of prevention education are some of the reasons why black women are more likely to die of certain diseases.
Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer
The National Cancer Institute states that black Americans overall, suffer the highest instances of the most common types of cancer each year. Therefore, black women have an increased risk for breast cancer and cervical cancer.
The death toll from breast cancer is greater in black women than all other groups of women, and black women are more than twice as likely to die from cervical cancer than any other group.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is the biggest health threat to African Americans overall and black women suffer disproportionately higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes than women from other ethnic backgrounds.
Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, & High Cholesterol
Heart disease is a condition that affects women across the board, but black women are more likely to die from the disease. High blood pressure, and high cholesterol are interconnected with heart disease, and black women suffer the highest incidence of all three life-threatening conditions.
AIDS/HIV
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2006 the rate of new HIV infection in African American women was almost 15 times as high as that of white women.
Preventative Measures
Most of the diseases that affect black women on a larger scale than other groups of women can be prevented with disciplined steps. Diet, exercise, weight management, and smoking cessation are key factors to in the prevention of every condition listed above, except HIV.
Pap smears, mammograms and breast self-examinations, are key to the prevention of cervical cancer and breast cancer - generally speaking, the earlier any form of cancer is detected, the better the prognosis.
Proper screenings, and medications have proven to be invaluable for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and education is the universal weapon against all disease.
Naturopathy as a Viable Treatment to the Black Women's Health Crisis
By its very nature, naturopathic medicine is a proactive method - meaning that it aims at the prevention of disease, rather than the reactive method of traditional Western medicine, which primarily "treats" disease after it has already set in.
Granted, many physicians are truly concerned with the prevention of disease, but it seems that the general population has grown accustomed to seeking medical attention after an illness has already occurred.
When considering an individual's overall health, it should not be a question of naturopathy versus Western medicine, because without a doubt - naturopathy cannot replace medical science.
Patient care should be a combined effort to support the best quality of life for the individual as a whole. The combined effort should ideally include traditional health care practitioners, mental health care practitioners, and naturopathic health practitioners - as well as patient self-education and adherence to advice from medical professionals.
A Word about AIDS
While it is true that certain drug therapies have lengthened the lives of people infected with HIV/AIDS, no matter what you may have heard, there still is no cure. Education and safe sex practices are strong weapons against HIV, and abstinence from sex and disuse of shared needles are the only absolute measures of protection.
The key in resolving the health crisis for black women is not to find a cure for these diseases, instead, the key lies in a stronger focus on prevention and the dissemination of education throughout the black community.
- Source -
Centers for Disease Control - African American Women's Health
U.S.. Department of Health & Human Services - Black Women's Health
Hechtman, Leah. Clinical Naturopathic Medicine . Chatswood, N.S.W.: Elsevier Australia, 2011.
Published by Rachelle Lynn Williams
Rachelle Williams has been a web writer for 2 years. In addition to Associated Content, Williams is a contributing writer for Demand Media, Suite101, and Break Studios. View profile
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