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What is the Pink and Black Campaign?
Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the Boston Public Health Commission
launched the Pink and Black Campaign to draw attention to the disparities
in breast cancer survival faced by Black women. Black women are more likely
to die after being diagnosed with breast cancer than women of other races.
The campaign aims to empower Black women to “See your doctor. Get
screened. Get treatment.”
The Pink and Black
Campaign features nine local Black women who have survived breast cancer
and whose experiences underscore the need for early access to screening
and treatment.
View
the latest Pink and Black Campaign Ad Campaign
Ad
Poster
Earlier Ads
Ad
Poster | Ad
Banner
What
are Health Disparities?
Health Disparities is a term used to describe differences in health that
occur among various groups. In Boston and across the country there are
a number of racial and ethnic health disparities that are striking even
when other factors, like income or education, are accounted for.
For example, while
White women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, Black
women have a higher death rate, despite higher rates of screening.
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In
Boston Black women over 40 are more likely to have a mammography screening
than White women. |
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Despite
higher rates of screening, Black women have a higher death rate from
breast cancer than White women. |
To find out more
about health disparities in Boston, and what the City is doing to address
them, visit our Disparities
Project web page.
What
can I do to help protect my health?
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See
Your Doctor
The best place to start is to find a doctor who you feel comfortable
with. Having a primary care provider who can provide information
on all of the important tests you should have is the first step
in protecting your health. If you are not insured or don’t
have a doctor, you can call the Mayor’s
Health Line to get referrals and to find out more about insurance
options: 617-534-5050.
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Get
Screened
As with any health condition, screening remains the first step in
prevention. Beginning at age 18, women should get a clinical breast
exam (an exam given by a doctor) every year in addition to doing
monthly breast self-exams.
Beginning at
age 40, women should get a mammogram (a breast x-ray) along with
a clinical breast exam every year. Boston’s Mobile Mammography
Van screens all women in the City of Boston, regardless of their
ability to pay. The priority populations served are low-income,
elderly, uninsured and medically underserved women who are least
likely to get a mammogram otherwise. For information on how to schedule
an appointment on the Van, call 617-534-5359 or view the Mamography
Van schedule .
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Get
Treatment
National and local data clearly show that screening and early diagnosis,
while important preventive measures, are not enough to eliminate the
racial disparities in breast cancer death rates. While a mammogram
or examination can identify a suspicious lump or mass, neither test
can establish with certainty the presence of cancer. Early treatment
is the key to survival. Know your options—talk to your doctor
and look at the links below for more information and resources.
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For
more information:
Boston Public
Health Commission Programs
REACH 2010 Breast
and Cervical Cancer
Cancer
Control and Prevention
Mayor’s
Health Line
Other Links
Black Women’s
Health online
Connecting
Hope Assistance and Treatment
Intercultural
Cancer Council
Encore
Plus Program YWCA
National
Women’s Health Information Center
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