5 Reasons Women Don't Get Mammograms...Eliminating the Barriers

“The key to saving lives is detecting breast cancer early”

Mammograms save lives. Early detection is key to conquering this horrible disease. Yet five women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day here in Orange County, California, and of those five, one woman dies of the disease. So would it surprise you to learn that the 5-year survival rate of early-stage breast cancer is 99%? There seems to be a significant disparity between the number of women dying from the disease (it is the leading cause of death in US Latina women) and the rate of survival when detected early. Mammograms, or a lack of them, are the key.

Making Mammograms Available to Latin Women

Northgate Market, in partnership with Susan G. Komen, is working to close the gap and increase survival rates for Latina women through their free breast health education, clinical breast exams and mobile mammograms throughout October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast Cancer and the Latina Woman

Latina women are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage breast cancers when compared to non-Hispanic white women, in part due to their low rates of screening mammography. With nearly 20,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed among Hispanic women in 2015, this is an at-risk population.

5 Reasons Women Don’t Get Mammograms

There are many reasons women, in general, do not receive mammograms. For the Latina woman, in particular, it is important to address and seek solutions to these barriers in order to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.

Low income: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latina women are paid 55 cents for every dollar when compared to white, non-Hispanic men. This lack of economic security and the perception that breast cancer screening tests will cost money contributes to lower screening rates.
Lack of health insurance: Breast cancer screening rates are lower among all women without insurance. However, 23% of Latina women fall within a coverage gap and are uninsured. These women are less likely to seek regular medical care, including screening tests like mammograms due to cost.
Inadequate access to care: Lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to leave work, and lack of a local mammography center all contribute to the lower rates of breast cancer screening among Latina women.
Knowledge gap when it comes to breast cancer risks and screening: For the Latina woman, education may be a significant reason for the disparity in breast cancer screening rates. Coupled with a lack of a regular health care provider or preventive health care, these women don’t often know when or how to obtain a clinical breast exam and a mammogram.
Culture and language: Fear, culture, and language all contribute to lower breast cancer screening rates among Latina women.

How Northgate Market Is Eliminating the Barriers

For the past 6 years, Northgate Market has worked to eliminate the barriers Hispanic women face when it comes to breast cancer screening. In partnership with Susan G. Komen, local stores throughout Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties will offer mobile mammography to uninsured, low-income Latina women. The only criteria needed for these free screening exams are as follows:

40 years of age or older
Have a low-income
Have not had a mammogram in the past year
Or are under 40 years old experiencing symptoms.

Utilizing private, comfortable, state-of-the-art mammography machines, these women will receive free breast health education, free clinical breast exams by a local physician and free mammograms. Any woman who has an abnormal finding will be referred for free diagnostic services through California’s Every Woman Counts program. Women can sign up for free screenings at their local stores. If for some reason a store is at capacity, she will be referred to and seen at another location.

For more information or to receive an appointment, please call (858) 300-2787.

As part of a holistic approach to wellness, through the month of October, Northgate Market will also provide in-store cooking demonstrations through Viva La Salud. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to sample and learn how to cook healthy meals as part of an overall wellness approach.

How Can I Make a Difference During Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

During the month of October, Northgate Market will sell pink packages of tortillas and bottled water. Through these sales, Northgate Market plans to donate $85,000 to help save the lives of this high-risk population.

For more information about how Northgate Market is eliminating the barriers for Latina women to receive breast cancer education and how they are promoting mammograms with the goal of saving lives, visit NorthgateMarkets.com

Author
Recent Posts

Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.