By Dr. Richard Berry
​For Message Magazine

Despite advances in cancer research, African American women continue to face disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for several conditions, including breast cancer. Understanding these disparities and addressing them head-on is essential for saving lives and achieving equity in healthcare.
Understanding the Disparities
Breast cancer affects women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, the experience of African American women is marked by significant differences compared to other racial groups:

"We came close together and then our lips touched in a kiss…” Wait a minute. Wait a minute! Where are you going with this Dr. Berry? This is a Christian magazine. Well, the above line is to capture your attention so you will want to read further. Did I succeed?
For a few moments, I want to explore the dangers of kissing. Yes you read it correctly. Dangers of a kiss. Believe it or not, a kiss can kill.
The story is reported that in 2012, 20 year-old Miriam Ducre-Lemay had a severe allergy to peanuts. This means that she would have an anaphylactic reaction if exposed to this nut, even remnants of the peanut. The result would be that her airway would swell and cut off her breathing. The brain and heart would then be deprived of necessary oxygen, and she could die. Well, she did not tell her boyfriend about this severe allergy and also she did not carry an EpiPen, two essential elements that would have rectified her ultimate demise.
The story is that her boyfriend had just eaten a peanut butter sandwich and gave Miriam a good night kiss. She soon began to have allergic symptoms and when she found out what he had eaten, she told him to call 9-1-1. She soon became unresponsive, however, and although he attempted CPR, it was too late. She died of cardiopulmonary arrest on her way to the hospital. A kiss had killed.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. But as many as half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.
Glaucoma has no early symptoms. The only way to check for it is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. 
​There’s no cure for glaucoma, but starting treatment as early as possible can help stop vision loss.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people are at higher risk, including people who:

• Are over age 60
• Are Black/African American and over age 40
• Are Asian American
• Are Hispanic/Latino
• Have a family history of glaucoma

Handwashing with soap and water is one of the simplest, most effective ways to stop the spread of germs and stay healthy. Keeping hands clean can help prevent diarrheal illnesses and respiratory infections, such as the common cold or flu.

Healthy aging is the process of maintaining good physical, mental, and social health and well-being as we grow older.

• Healthy aging starts early on in life.
• It means adopting healthy habits and making positive lifestyle choices that contribute to overall well-being as we age.
• Starting early is important to avoid many health complications that may arise in later life.
• But it is never too late to adopt healthy habits for positive change.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Healthy aging means adopting healthy habits and making positive lifestyle choices that contribute to health and well-being as we grow older.
These habits may include:

1. Nutrition. Maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
2. Physical activity. Keep your body active by doing regular exercise.
3. Mental functioning: Keep your mind stimulated and get enough sleep.
4. Social well-being: Stay socially connected and engaged with others.
5. Emotional well-being: Take care of your emotional well-being, including managing stress, having a positive outlook, and seeking support when needed.
6. Injury prevention: Try to avoid falls and other injuries by taking precautions and practicing safe driving.
7. Health care routine: Keep up with regular health checkups, vaccines, and screenings; and manage any chronic conditions.
   

For more information as well as programs to promote healthy aging and a longer life, visit CDC.gov, and speak to your doctor.

Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays come from the sun, tanning beds, and sunlamps. UV rays can damage skin cells.
To lower your risk of getting skin cancer, you can protect your skin from UV rays from the sun, and avoid artificial sources of UV exposure like tanning beds and sunlamps.



Protection from UV rays is important all year, not just during the summer. UV rays can reach you on cloudy and cool days, and they reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow. In the continental United States, UV rays are strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daylight saving time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time).
The UV Index forecasts the strength of UV rays each day. If the UV index is 3 or higher in your area, protect your skin from too much exposure to the sun. CDC recommends several ways to protect your skin when the UV index is 3 or higher:

• Stay in the shade.
• Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.
• Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

For this and additional information, please visit www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/index.html