Do I go to the doctor or do I buy groceries?
You shouldn’t have to make that kind of decision.
Black women are being left out
of healthcare infrastructure and resources.
African American women are twice as likely to die
from cervical cancer, as opposed to white women.
To find out these alarming numbers
about Black women dying from something that is preventable,
is very disturbing.
Hi.
How’s everybody doing?
When approached about becoming a community-based researcher,
I just knew I was going to be asking questions and surveys
to women in the community
about cervical cancer issues and health issues.
So, when I heard about the barriers of transportation,
health care and finances,
I must admit I was a little shocked.
The health insurance I applied for was like over $200 [a month]
and that’s just too much. I can’t afford, how would I live?
A lot of times, you know, I don't go to the doctor
because then if I did come down with something,
I wouldn’t be able to treat it.
So, I just don’t go.
Baker County is located
in southwest Georgia, away from Interstate 75.
So, there’s not a lot of industry or trade or anything there.
It has a community of individuals
that are supportive of each other.
Unfortunately, it's an area dominated by poverty.
The income is low.
There are not really any jobs within Baker County.
Sometimes the health center only has one physician to see all of the patients.
There is not a regular OB-GYN in Baker County.
When we talk about reproductive cancer, when you reach a certain age,
making sure that you get your mammograms, your Paps,
all of that should be done.
But if you don’t have health insurance, nobody’s going to do it for you.
If you don't get the health care you need for one problem,
it could lead to another problem.
I've seen this happen with a patient.
She was turned down for Medicare or Medicaid.
She didn't get the health care that she needed.
I think she may have lasted maybe two or three years [and] passed away.
And that's the kind of stuff
that really just bothers me.
Based upon the research that we conducted,
Black women in Georgia are more apt to be diagnosed with cervical cancer
in the later stages because they have not received preventive treatment.
And we found out that the majority are not aware
that there is the HPV vaccine, which would actually prevent cervical cancer.
Most of them are not informed by their doctors.
What do you do if you feel that you're being discriminated against
where you feel that you were not given the information
you should have been given
because you're Black or because you're low-income?
That's a great barrier
and it has a traumatic effect
on Black women in rural communities.
Coming up with resolutions at the grassroot level is key in any community
because everybody in that community knows everyone,
especially when you're talking about a community as small as Baker.
We need to have some programs
to educate the women about how to take care of their body,
how to go to the doctor
and get themselves seen about it.
Because one thing about it, cancer don’t care who it is.
It doesn’t care.
You’ve got to keep yourself checked.
On the federal level, we need to have more accountability.
So, the government's responsibility is to make sure that all women,
regardless of their socioeconomic status, are afforded resources and solutions.
Shouldn’t have a high incidence of cervical cancer.
It’s one of the few diseases that we have
that can be eradicated.
I strongly believe in you take care of the people that need it most.
We cannot afford to repeat the cycle of cervical cancer.