“At a time when national rates for cervical cancer deaths are dropping as more women get tested, Miami’s Little Haiti is seeing four times the national incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer.” – The Miami Herald, 11/29/11
- Haitian flag wall mural in Little Haiti
A number of Haitian women in the South Florida area remain at risk from a threat that strikes quietly and at times without warning. When left unchecked, it is fatal.
The University of Miami has released startling results from a survey about cervical cancer that is causing a stir, as it should, among Florida’s health professionals and their patients.
What’s in a survey?
Within Miami-Dade County, above Buena Vista’s Design District, is Le Petite Haiti or Little Haiti, population 29,128, according to the 2000 U. S. census.
Another study, by the University of Miami’s South Florida Center for Reducing Cancer Disparities, dubbed “SUCCESS,” which appeared online in the Miami Herald on November 29, 2011, gives one pause.
The Herald’s editorial, “Call to action on cancer,” cites information by the University of Miami that suggests 53% of women surveyed around the area of Little Haiti in Florida have never been tested for cervical cancer. The same article indicates nationwide, of the women who identified themselves as African-American, when asked, 84% said they have been tested.
“Women in Miami’s Little Haiti are more likely to die of cervical cancer than any other minority or immigrant group in South Florida,” notes the Herald.
Possible explanations
Economics and immigration angst, two hot button topics no matter where you go, are just two suggested reasons for the high rate of cervical cancer in some areas of Miami. The matter, often complex, is further elucidated by The Miami Herald’s piece:
“It’s mostly simple economics but it’s also a cultural tendency to overlook preventive health checks. A lack of health insurance and to a lesser extent fear by undocumented Haitians that a doctor would report their status to immigration officials, pose clear barriers.”
A course of action
As with other cancers, most experts agree testing and early detection are the best ways to stop a dangerous trend. Some, including community organizations like FANM (Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami) or Haitian Women of Miami, are leading the way to a healthier difference in South Florida.
FAMN’s fourth annual Breast and Cervical Cancer Conference, held on December 7, 2011, has been hailed “a call to action” by the group’s Executive Director, Marleine Bastien. For the sake of the women in Le Petite Haiti, perhaps her words of caution will be well heeded.