Latinas suffer a high burden of cervical cancer, which is often caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). In fact, Latinas have the second-highest rate of dying from cervical cancer after Black women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Cervical cancer screening – commonly referred to as a Pap smear – can help reduce this disease burden. However, Latinas and other women of color face numerous barriers to cervical cancer screening, such as lack of health insurance and fear of cervical exams, which can be uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing. Enter University of North Carolina researchers Jennifer S. Smith and Noel T. Brewer. The duo are part of the research team behind the My Body, My Test 3 clinical trial, which explored the ...
Latinos face inequities in social determinants of health (SDoH), from housing to healthcare, making it harder to achieve health equity. Watch the UT Health San Antonio webinar — “How to Systemically Address Social Needs in Healthcare Settings” — which was held at 11 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, to explore how healthcare settings can care for patients' medical and SDoH needs. Panelists from UT Health San Antonio, Nemours Children's Health, HOPE Clinic in Houston, the American Cancer Society, and Genentech unpacked SDoH screening, a strategy that clinics, hospitals, and healthcare systems can use to check patients for social needs and connect them to needed resources. This is a part of a webinar of a series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together.” The ...
About half of Latinos who enroll in a four-year college do not end up graduating, according to a new analysis from ¡Excelencia in Education! Latinos’ college graduation rate (52%) also is lower than their White peers (65%). How can we increase Latino college graduation rates? Let’s dive into to the numbers and explore how to close the Latino education gap, and better support Latino students.
Latino College Graduation by the Numbers
28% of Latino adults (age 25 and older) currently have an associate degree or higher, compared to 48% of non-Latino White adults. To better understand that gap, the new analysis from ¡Excelencia in Education! highlights 4 measures that track degree completion: 1. Graduation Rate: Total percentage of students who ...
CDC's Project Firstline knows that healthcare workers are short on time, but this shouldn’t limit access to practical and valuable infection control training. That’s why CDC's Project Firstline developed Infection Control Micro-Learns – a series of guided infection control discussions that can be easily incorporated into team meetings or huddles facilitated by an experienced team member with infection control expertise. These short and easy-to-understand learning opportunities can help healthcare workers recognize and minimize infection control risks to protect themselves, coworkers, and patients from infectious diseases. Let’s explore the Infection Control Micro-Learn on rashes!
What to Do When You See a Patient with a Rash
A rash is abnormal skin that is usually red, ...
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is working to discover cures for breast cancer faster with ShareForCures. ShareForCures is a breast cancer research registry that connects researchers with information from people who have or had breast cancer. “The goal of ShareForCures is to focus on research that will have the most significant impact for people affected by breast cancer,” according to the registry website. Here’s how you or someone you know can participate in ShareForCures!
Join ShareForCures
Individuals interested in participating in the registry can start by creating a free MyKomen + Health account and complete the ShareForCures registration. Participants are asked to complete informed consent and medical release forms. “Information that could ...
Thomas Brittain and his immediate family gathered in the neurologist’s office, eager to hear the health status of their beloved family member, 67-year-old Sarah Cadena. “Your mother has a cognitive impairment,” the neurologist said. “We recommend that she transition to living with family for her own safety.” Without a second thought, the Brittain family began planning how to care for Sarah Cadena. That was 13 years ago. Since then, Sarah Cadena has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a disease that can lead to progressive memory loss and ability to perform daily activities. Thomas, Sarah Cadena’s son, a retired San Antonio police officer, is now her primary caretaker. Sarah Cadena lives with Thomas and his family, and as far as caretaking goes, Thomas said he and ...
As Latino individuals become more acculturated to the English language and U.S. culture, their cigarette use tends to rise, according to a study on cigarette consumption behaviors among the Latino community. The National Institute on Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD) -supported research found that this trend occurs particularly among Latino men, and that cigarette consumption also varies based on educational attainment. Let’s dive into what the numbers look like for Latino smokers and what these study results mean for smoking prevention in this population.
Latinos and Language Acculturation
Acculturation is defined as “the process of two cultures blending, generally seen when an immigrant or minority culture acclimates with the dominant culture.” For ...
Over 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Of those caregivers, about 25% are Latino. Many Latinos are “sandwich generation” caregivers — meaning that they care for an aging parent and at least one child. While caring for aging family members can be rewarding and feel like the right thing to do, caregiving is a full-time job that can be physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing. That’s why we’re highlighting 15 resources to help San Antonio and South Texas Alzheimer’s caregivers navigate caregiving challenges. Check out the list below, and feel free to share these resources with other caregivers.
Caring for the Caregiver at UT Health San Antonio
If you live in or near San Antonio, the Caring for the ...
A cool breeze hits Carlos Olivas III’s face and suddenly the smells of fresh, warm coffee and donuts hits his nose. He enjoys a short, tranquil moment at a bakery as part of his daily routine alongside his father, Carlos Olivas Jr., also known as Charlie. Carlos is a full-time caregiver for Charlie, who is living with Alzheimer’s in Sacramento. Carlos saw what caregiving looked like from a young age. He watched his mother and father care for his grandmother and, later, his father care for his ailing mother. “My dad was the caregiver for my mom, who was dealing with breast cancer, diabetes, and congenital heart failure. In 2008, she passed. Reflecting back, that was the first time, the real hero,” Carlos said. “He set the stage as a male caregiver, without knowing ...
