Important Dates for Health Insurance Marketplace (Obamacare) Enrollment



Open enrollment for Obamacare opens soon. According to data from the CDC 30.4 percent of Latinos under 65 years old lack health insurance. Signing up during the enrollment period ensures you and your family members are protected in 2016. Here are some key dates to keep in mind: November 1, 2015 Open enrollment starts-first day you can enroll in a 2016 Marketplace plan December 31, 2015 Health insurance coverage ends for 2015 January 1, 2016 First date 2016 coverage can start January 31, 2016 2016 open enrollment ends   For more information visit ...

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Latinos: Hablemos sobre el VIH



Actualmente en los Estados Unidos 220,000 Hispanos viven con VIH y si las tendencias actuales continúan se estima que 1 de cada 36 hombres latinos y 1 de cada 106 mujeres latinas será diagnosticada con VIH durante su vida. Los jóvenes entre 13-24 años están aun a un más alto riesgo. Este grupo represento el 26 por ciento de nuevas infecciones de VIH en el país. Entre los jóvenes homosexuales y bisexuales el número de nuevas infecciones por VIH incremento en un 22 por ciento. Una encuesta del 2013 encontró que el 34 por ciento de estudiantes de preparatoria quienes reportaron actividad sexual tres meses antes de la encuesta encontró que el 41 por ciento no uso condón. Para reducir el nuero de nuevas infecciones de VIH en la comunidad latina el Centro de prevencion ...

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A Pop Quiz that Can Save Your Adolescent Child’s Life



What’s the most common sexually transmitted infection? What can cause genital warts or cervical, penis, and anus cancer? What can be prevented with a simple vaccine? Answer: HPV (the human papillomavirus). That’s why a new program is educating people about HPV and helping them make and remember HPV vaccination appointments for girls and boys ages 11-17 in South Texas. The program, called Entre Familia, uses promotoras—trained community health workers—to deliver education and services, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio in partnership with Nuestra Clínica del Valle in South Texas and the Colonias Program at Texas A&M University. “Entre Familia raises awareness about the ...

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19 Recommendations for Pregnant Women in their First Trimester



Expecting a baby is one of the most magical experiences in a woman's life. But do you know how important the first trimester is for your baby and your health? Here are a few of the 19 recommendations for pregnant women in their first trimester from the Someday Starts Now campaign: Choose an obstetrician or health care provider. Make an appointment to be seen before the end of your 12th week. Start or continue taking prenatal vitamins containing 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid. If you have had a previous premature baby, let your doctor or midwife know. There are medications that you can take to reduce your risk of another premature delivery. Stop drinking alcohol, smoking and using street drugs. Contact your health insurance company about coverage. See the full set of ...

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La pobreza extrema afecta 1 de 4 latinos en EEUU



Al rededor del 26 por ciento de los latinos y el 24 por ciento de afro-americanos viven en “pobreza extrema,” el cual significa que tienen dificultades en poder pagar por necesidades básicas, aun así con ayuda de programas gubernamentales, de acuerdo a un nuevo estudio. El reporte del US Department of Health and Human Services , HHS por sus siglas en inglés, define pobreza extrema al nivel de la mitad del nivel de pobreza federal—menos de $6,000 para un adulto o $7,600 para un adulto con dependientes. Según el reporte: Una familia en pobreza extrema gasta $3,000-$6,000 más en necesidades que sus ingresos permiten. Individuos en pobreza extrema tienden a estar menos saludables que aquellos con ingresos mayores por lo cual requieren de mayor atención médica. “ ...

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Diabetics At-Higher Risk of Oral Infections



Diabetics are more susceptible to oral infections such as gingivitis and periodontitis than those that don’t suffer from diabetes, Univision Salud reports. Lower flow of saliva among diabetics causes burning sensations in the mouth skyrocketing the incidence of cavities and other infections. And those “who don’t control their sugar levels tend to have more oral health problems, particularly dental gum retractions.” Gingivitis and periodontitis are the most common oral health problems among diabetics, but more serious ones such as Thrush (candidiasis) it's also common. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) recommends: Control glucose levels in the blood Brush your teeth and use dental floss every day Visit your dentist ...

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Yoga vs. Gym Workouts: What’s Best?



Yoga and regular gym workouts are both equally effective according to a new study, Ivanhoe reports. The study led by Dr. Daniel Hughes,an exercise researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio (the team behind SaludToday), surprised all participants who expected one of the workouts to emerge as more effective. “I think I was expecting that one would be stronger than the other, and probably thinking that yoga would be the end all be all,” Michelle Hart, a study participant, told Ivanhoe. For the study, one group was asked to do yoga, a second group to do regular gym workouts, and a third group to just stay active. During the study, all participants exercised three hours a week and lost the same amount of body fat, ...

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Millions of Latino Adults At-Risk of Losing Eyesight



Numerous diseases can be detected early with an eye exam. According to a recent report by CBS News “61 million American adults are at risk for losing their eyesight, but only half visited an eye doctor in the past year.” Latino adults, who many lack the financial resources or insurance to visit an eye doctor regularly- are also at risk. Among the diseases that can be diagnosed early with an eye exam are: diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. "The eye is unique in the body," Dr. Christopher Starr, an ophthalmologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center told CBS News "We can examine blood vessels, we can even examine the brain - the optic nerve is part of the brain - and we can see that in great detail on our eye exams. It's the only place in the body where that's ...

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New Campaign Invites Latinos to Talk Openly About HIV/AIDS



Currently, 220,000 Hispanics are living with HIV in the United States and if trends continue the CDC estimates that 1 in 36 Latino men and 1 in 106 Latina women will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The age group at highest risk are those between 13-24 years old, who accounted for 26 percent of new HIV infections. Among young gay and bisexual males the number of new HIV infections increased by 22 percent. A survey from 2013 found that 34 percent of high school students who reported being sexually active in the previous three months-41 percent did not use a condom. In order to help reduce the numbers of new HIV infections in the Latino community the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched “We can stop HIV One Conversation at a Time / Podemos ...

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