 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Cheryl B Pearson-Fields, MPH, Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer, 1707 L Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036, (301) 332-5536, cfields@mautnerproject.org
Background: African American lesbians (AAL) may face double jeopardy in morbidity and mortality from breast cancer. The barriers that decrease access for African American women are well known and documented, as is the increased mortality from breast cancer for this group. These barriers are compounded by the additional risk factors prevalent among lesbians, and the homophobia in healthcare settings that causes lesbians to delay screening. The intersection of these barriers and risk factors has been little studied. The African American Breast Health Study will document the breast cancer risk factors, screening behavior, and barriers to care for AAL.
Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study utilizes a self-administered questionnaire that examines risk factors such as, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and other health behavior; utilization of breast self exam (BSE), clinical breast exam (CBE) and screening mammography (SM); and perceived barriers to healthcare access. Five hundred AAL will be recruited nationally through African American gay and lesbian magazines, newsletters and internet sites, as well as gay and lesbian community/health centers, and lesbian cancer projects. The project will work with Community Outreach workers as gatekeepers.
Discussion: Findings from this study will help identify priority areas for health education and will help educators develop model strategies to increase screening rates for this vulnerable population. By utilizing innovative outreach and recruitment strategies this study will determine effective strategies for enrolling hard to reach populations.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: African American, Lesbian Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.