New AIDS Campaign Targets Previously Neglected Segment of Black America

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Thirty-four percent of new male HIV infections are in the 40-plus age range and 36 percent of new female HIV infections are in the 40-plus age range. Yet according to the Black AIDS Institute, there have been very few campaigns targeting this population.

“Last year Washington D.C. reported that one in 10 residents between the ages of 40 and 49 had the virus,” says Black AIDS Institute Founder and CEO Phill Wilson. “That is an epidemic that rivals the worst AIDS epidemics in the poorest countries on the planet.”

The Black AIDS Institute has found an innovative way to help Black people ages 40 and up become more aware of HIV/AIDS while raising money to fight the disease in Black communities. The campaign is called Trump AIDS. The campaign uses the traditional Black pastime of bid whist, popular with Black Americans aged 40-plus, as a unique way to target this often overlooked HIV/AIDS demographic. The Martin Luther King Jr. weekend kick-off event in Atlanta, GA includes a Bid Whist Qualifying Tournament and Health Fair in partnership with local Atlanta organizations Sister Love and AID Atlanta.

“We are proud to partner with the Black AIDS Institute on this new and innovative awareness campaign to reach Black Americans,” says Sister Love Founder and President Dazon Dixon. “When two-thirds of the new HIV/AIDS cases among women in the US are Black, now more than ever it’s important to educate and reach every demographic of the Black community.”

The Health Fair includes free onsite HIV testing for all Tournament attendees, players and guests. All are welcome to attend.

“Rates of HIV in persons over 50 years of age are 12 times higher among African Americans than among whites,” according to Achieve Quarterly’s article on HIV Prevention by Timothy G. Heckman, Ph.D. “Older people do not consider themselves at risk. Physicians rarely talk to older patients about sex or other risk behaviors.”

“Trump AIDS is an unprecedented event that will provide Black people who are not actively engaged in the HIV battle with access to important health information,” says Black AIDS Institute COO Aron Myers. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Atlanta community and good citizenship for all.”

“There’s no way to end the AIDS epidemic in Black communities without targeting this population,” adds Wilson. “The Black AIDS Institute has spent the last decade meeting Black folks where they are. Trump AIDS is a perfect example of identifying an indigenous past time in our community and using it to deliver culturally effective messaging. Everything about this effort, from the date and city where we launch the campaign to celebrity co-chairs—Danny Glover and Jackee Harry—celebrate Black culture.”

“I’m proud to be a Co-Chair of the TrumpAIDS campaign,” says Actor and AIDS Activist Danny Glover. “AIDS does not only affect a select demographic such as youth, women, or gays. It affects all groups of people. That is why Trump AIDS is such an important campaign for Black people to support and participate in. We must unite as a community — for the sake of our community. To do nothing is to be part of the problem.”

Trump AIDS launches in Atlanta, GA in partnership with the 7NO! Players.

“The 7NO! Players are excited to host the kick-off event in Atlanta, GA Martin Luther King Jr. weekend,’ says Montez Collins, President, 7NO! Players. “We look forward to welcoming all of our regular bid whist players and any new comers who are interested in learning more about the game.”

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African American women with breast cancer receive no follow-up care after lumpectomy, shows study

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A new study finds many breast cancer patients - particularly African American women - do not receive recommended radiation treatments after undergoing a lumpectomy. The study, published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, indicates that efforts are needed to improve breast cancer care in general, and that they should specifically address racial disparities.

Research has shown that the use of recommended breast cancer treatments varies by race, but there is limited data looking at such disparities at a national level. To investigate, Grace Smith, MD, PhD, MPH, of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and colleagues analyzed data from a national cohort of Medicare patients and quantified racial disparities in the use of recommended radiation therapy after lumpectomy for invasive breast cancer. Their analysis included all women over age 65 years who underwent a lumpectomy for invasive breast cancer in 2003..

Of 34,080 women studied, 91 percent were white, 6 percent were black, and 3 percent were of other races. Seventy-four percent of whites, 65 percent of blacks, and 66 percent of other races received radiation therapy. "Given that radiation therapy after lumpectomy is standard therapy, particularly if a patient has at least one high-risk feature, this level of compliance is surprisingly low," said Dr. Smith.

The investigators determined that whites were 48 percent more likely to receive radiation therapy than blacks. In addition, disparities between white and black patients varied by geographic region, with the lowest rates of radiation therapy (57 percent) received by blacks in areas of the Northeastern and Southern United States. In patients who were younger than 70 years (who would be expected to have higher rates of treatment), racial disparities persisted, with 83 percent of whites, 73 percent of blacks, and 78 percent of other races receiving radiation.

The reasons for the disparities seen in this study are not known. It could be that physicians offer treatment less frequently to non-white patients, substandard care occurs more frequently in predominantly non-white communities, or that non-white patients are more likely to decline treatment. The underlying causes of the observed geographic variations in racial disparities are also unclear.

"We hope our research will affect awareness about disparities in breast cancer treatment, and promote efforts to overcome disparities," said Dr. Smith. She noted that a key aspect of overcoming racial disparities is education. "If patients and health care providers together can recognize that barriers to treatment exist, steps can be taken to address the problem." Patients can play a role by becoming educated about the value of radiation after lumpectomies and helping to disseminate this information in their communities. In addition, both patients and their physicians can work together to identify specific obstacles that contribute to disparities in cancer care.

http://www.cancer.org/

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