The organization is doubling down on its efforts to assist those most affected by health inequities.
Black women are dying more than white women because the health care system has failed them—and continues to fail them—at every step in their breast cancer journey. According to the 2021 Komen report, Closing the Breast Cancer Gap: A Roadmap to Save the Lives of Black Women in America, Black women are often ignored by their health care providers and face significant barriers to receiving the care they need due to a legacy of systemic racism, implicit bias, and below-standard care. These disparities have led to the disease affecting Black women at an alarming rate; making them about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, be diagnosed at a later stage with more aggressive types of treatment, and have a lower 5-year relative survival rate.
Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, has worked to advance health equity for years and fight these unacceptable conditions. Now, the organization is doubling down on its efforts to assist those most affected by health inequities with Stand for H.E.R. — a Health Equity Revolution — a focus initiative to decrease breast cancer disparities through focused interventions that break down the barriers that created these inequities for Black people, including:
- Education: Provide knowledge including screening guidelines, family history, and assistance in knowing what’s normal, how to advocate for oneself, understanding breast health, including understanding their history and risk
- Patient Navigation: To increase access to culturally competent services in the Black community and ensure connections to timely, high-quality care
- Genetic Counseling and Testing: Increase access to genetic counseling and testing services and culturally competent resources in the Black community.
- Financial Assistance: Ease the financial burden of treatment for Black breast cancer patients.
- Screening and Diagnostic services: Offer clinical services for the uninsured and underinsured, while increasing use of the existing safety net of services.
- Quality Oncology Practice Initiative: In partnership with American Society of Clinical Oncology, Komen is implementing a quality improvement program for oncology practices.
- Genetic Counseling and Testing: Increase access to genetic counseling and testing services and culturally competent resources in the Black community.
- Workforce development: Improve the diversity and cultural sensitivity of health care workers.
- Funding: Invest in research that is representative and benefits all.
- Advocacy: Fight for policies that promote health equity.
Stand for H.E.R. is Susan G. Komen’s commitment to collaborating with Black communities, policymakers, researchers, and other key stakeholders to help create a world without inequities and where Black people have the same chances of surviving breast cancer as anyone else. The focused initiative to decrease breast cancer disparities in the Black community by 25% beginning in the U.S. metropolitan areas where inequities are greatest. For more information about the initiative, visit komen.org.
