Shanda Bradford was only 34 years old when her doctor found abnormalities in her cervix. She was usually very diligent about getting her pap smear screenings, so she thought it would be a regular day of checkups. So, when Bradford received the news from her doctor, she was in disbelief, considering she had no symptoms before her appointment. Bradford expected a reassuring, “no issues” checkup. Instead, she had to make life decisions quickly, decisions she wasn’t ready to make.
Despite her shock, Bradford was determined to do what she needed to keep from getting cancer. Her doctor’s recommended that she get a colposcopy, a procedure to closely examine the cervix, vagina, and vulva for signs of disease.
“We have to meet our people where they are at. We have to figure out how they get their information, and many rely on social media as a platform to do so. The podcasting project is a means of educating the larger Houston community about the criticality of preventing cervical cancer.”
dr. chakema carmack
The only problem was she didn’t have insurance and waited until she could get the procedure after medical professionals told her the risks of waiting.
“I had faith enough to believe that God had me until I could get insurance,” she said. “By the time I got insurance, it was a year later. When I went back, the doctor told me that I was right at the stage before full-blown cancer.”
Bradford’s story is not uncommon among Black women in the United States. While she was lucky to have missed a cancer diagnosis, cervical cancer can affect women of all races and backgrounds, and statistics reveal a troubling disparity: non-Hispanic Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and have a higher mortality rate compared to white women.
This stark reality underscores the urgent need for awareness and action within the Black community. Cervical cancer is not only preventable but also highly treatable when detected early through routine screenings such as Pap tests. Yet, many Black women face systemic barriers that prevent them from accessing lifesaving healthcare services and information.
According to recent data, approximately 2,000 African American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent the lived experiences of mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends whose lives are often cut short by a preventable illness.
At the heart of the issue lies a complex web of challenges that disproportionately affect Black women. Addressing these disparities requires a multifaceted approach prioritizing education, access and advocacy. When you have the knowledge, you have the power to make critical decisions that will prolong your life.
What is cervical cancer?
The surface of the cervix is where cervical cancer first appears. The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus where a baby grows during pregnancy. It occurs when precancerous cells emerge from the cells on your cervix. Cervical cancer can be prevented by identifying and treating precancerous cells before they transform, even though not all cells will eventually become cancer.
What are the symptoms?
Early cervical cancer symptoms can be mild, resembling symptoms of benign diseases or other malignancies.
-Vaginal discharge that is red or watery, sometimes heavy, and may smell bad.
-Vaginal bleeding during a sexual encounter, in between menstrual cycles, or following menopause.
-Menstrual periods could be more extended and heavier than usual.
The stages
Cervical Cancer has multiple stages depending on how far the cancer has spread in the body.
Stage 1: Only the cervix contains cancerous cells.
Stage 2: The tissue immediately around the cervix (parametria) and/or the upper portion of the vagina have been invaded by cancer cells.
Stage 3: The lower vagina, the pelvic sidewall, or adjacent lymph nodes contain cancer cells. The tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, known as ureters, can potentially become blocked by tumors.
Stage 4: The cancer has progressed to distant lymph nodes, the pelvis, the bladder or the rectum.
According to the American Cancer Society, Black women have a 75% higher risk of dying from it in the United States, and it’s 93% preventable.
Dr. Chakema Carmack, Ph.D, assistant professor of the Psychological Health and Learning Science Department at the University of Houston, was shocked by the grim statistics.
“I had to find out the ‘why’ behind these statistics,” she said. “Barriers such as inadequate healthcare coverage, mistrust in healthcare providers, limited access to health information and obtaining timely screenings and follow-up care are common explanations I hear.”
Carmack launched a culturally tailored pilot project entitled “Proof of Concept and Feasibility in Podcasting Cervical Cancer Prevention for African American Women.”
About 40 participants in this study were asked to assess and rank their attitudes and perceptions regarding cervical cancer. The researchers found that five criteria stood out as being especially important: cancer screenings, support networks, knowledge of cervical cancer (101), fatalism, and simplicity of prevention.
She learned that minority status in the U.S. is highly correlated with poverty, poor educational systems and the lack of cultural competency with messaging that is relevant to the community.
“We have to meet our people where they are at. We have to figure out how they get their information, and many rely on social media as a platform to do so,” she said. “The podcasting project is a means of educating the larger Houston community about the criticality of preventing cervical cancer.”
The project also revealed that attitudes toward cervical cancer have prevented Black women from getting screened. Carmack listed a few examples, including:
-Most women didn’t get tested without physical symptoms, not realizing it could be undetected in the body.
-Cervical cancer wasn’t discussed in school. Some were unaware that the cervix is a female-only organ
-Using religion/God as a way of protection
-Fear of vaccinations
-Lack of conversation around sex and preventative care in the home
At home, the topic of sex was not discussed. It was one of those taboo things because her generation wasn’t as open about it.
“But as I got older, we talked about it a little more,” Bradford said. “She [Mother] taught me to take my preventative care seriously and do it every year.”
How to decrease your risk
Carmack says women must schedule a Pap smear exam, which screens for abnormal changes in cervical cells. If your Pap returns as abnormal, further testing is necessary, and that could include an HPV (Human papillomavirus infection) test, which is a specific test that checks the cells of your cervix for HPV infection.
You can reduce your exposure to HPV by limiting the number of sex partners and avoiding sex with others who’ve had multiple sex partners. Also, don’t smoke. Smoking weakens the immune system’s ability to fight infections, including HPV.
