TheLoop21.com

By: Crystal P. Smith (Add to your loop)
Tue, 10/13/2009 - 07:29

Read more of TheLoop21.com's special series Fighting Black: Breast Cancer in Our Community.

If you haven't heard already, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In light of that and all the challenges facing health care reform, more awareness on health in general is appropriate — especially in the Black community where people are more likely to die from disease at a younger age.

But breast cancer hasn't fallen through the cracks. In fact, it's one of the most visible and vocal battles, with white women at the forefront. We've all seen the pink ribbons and special edition items like cameras, food and cosmetics packaged in pink to call attention to and raise money for breast cancer. And while white women are more likely to get breast cancer than any other ethnic group, more black women die from it. From 2003 to 2005, according to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 white women developed breast cancer while 1 in 35 died from it, whereas 1 in 10 black women developed it and 1 in 31 died.

Why? The same reasons as always. We don't go to the doctor as often (for a number of reasons) and we're more likely to be obese and less likely to engage in regular physical activity. These bad habits affect other diseases like HIV/AIDS, which Black women are also most likely to get and die from.

Some of these factors aren't entirely our fault. Black people as a whole have higher unemployment rates and poverty levels, meaning we're less likely to have quality health care. Prevention can only work if people have access to quality doctors. I stress "quality," because so often the doctors in lower-income areas are overworked and jaded by the socioeconomic conditions that surround them, they don't even make time to provide guidance on healthy eating habits, which has been shown to lower the probability of getting breast cancer.

A lot of it has to come back to personal responsibility, which is our fault. Of course, some percentage of women would be more responsible if they had access but in reality, a lot of women just aren't willing to change their lifestyle in order to be healthy. How many times have you heard it: "I can't exercise because I don't want to sweat my hair out," "Eating healthy is too expensive," "I don't have the time to cook," or "I don't like healthy food."

But excuses won't cut it because once again, we're dying. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009, breast cancer will be the leading type of cancer for Black women. It will be the second most common type of cancer that Black women will die from. Breast cancer isn't as devastating to Black women as HIV/AIDS, and at least we can do something about it.

Many of us have seemingly insurmountable odds against us, but we're still better off than we were 30 years ago in terms of education and wealth attainment. Because of this, more of us can afford to give attention to improving our lifestyles, which will undoubtedly make us healthier, as a whole, in the long run.

Breast cancer doesn't always have to kill, if only we will modify our personal risk behaviors and continue the fight for those who can't fight for themselves.

For more resources on breast cancer.

Crystal P. Smith is senior editor and writer at TheLoop21.com, where she focuses on pop culture, gender, social issues and race. She also writes the Inside the Loop blog.

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