April is National Minority Health month, a good time to become aware of racial and ethnic health risks.

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services show that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to get the preventive care they need to stay healthy and more likely to suffer from serious illnesses.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, as of 2005:

African American: African American men were 1.3 times as likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white men. At the same time, African American women were 10 percent less likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  However, they were 34 percent more likely to die from breast cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white women.

Hispanic: Mexican American adults were two times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes. Hispanic males have almost three times the AIDS rate as non-Hispanic white males, and Hispanic females have almost 5 times the AIDS rate as non-Hispanic white females.

Asian/Pacific Islander: Both Asian/Pacific Islander men and women have three times the incidence of liver and Inflamatory Bowel Disease as the non-Hispanic white population.  Asian/Pacific Islander men are twice as likely to die from stomach cancer, compared to the non-Hispanic white population, and Asian/Pacific Islander women are 2.6 times as likely to die from the same disease.

Students who take responsibility for their health during their college years will put themselves in a good position to avoid falling into statistical traps.

University Health Service can help. Call 323-APPT (2778) to make an appointment for a diabetes glucose test, blood pressure screening, HIV test ($10), nutrition counseling, or tobacco cessation.