Of AWAREE. Asian America. May MAY is National. Ceravix & Diabetes. Month

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1 Be Aware Of AWAREE AW WSHIP Asian America n Womens Health Initiative Project May 2014 IN THIS ISSUE AWARE Continues MAY is National Hepatitis Awareness Month Ceravix Your Health: Coffee & Diabetes The second issue: Boston University School of Social Work s AWARE Study

2 lorem ipsum dolor AWARE The AWARE study continues its trial run The AWARE study will near its midpoint of its eleven session trial run that began in early April. The study consists of a select few number of women, yet AWARE researchers are still actively seeking new individuals who are willing and eager to participate in future sessions. Following the trial run, we hope to develop and revise these intervention sessions and apply them on a larger scale. Throughout the summer we aim to focus on Asian American women s resilience and empowerment, so constructive criticism is encouraged from participantss in order to allow us to maximize the quality of care and informationn provided to the individuals that participate in the study. National Asian continue our outreach and increase our presence in the community. The trial session will continue through mid- summer, and the opinions and advice offered by the participants will play an important role in any necessary reshaping of the intervention model. The goal of the project continues to & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day The Banyan Tree Project and the CDC announce the annual observance of National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on May 19 th, The campaign has been ongoing since the first awareness day in The project hopes to minimize the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS among these ethnic groups by increasing publicity andd general knowledge of the topic. For more information, visitt aids.gov or Photo Credit: aids.gov 2

3 lorem ipsum dolor Photo Credit: vaccines.gov The American Liver Foundation has estimated that about 5.3 million Americans are living with chronicc hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Hepatitis is a diseasee that leads to inflammation of the liver that results from viral infection, bacteria, or other toxins. Hepatitis can take different forms, including hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). While the CDC states that hepatitis A and B can be prevented with a vaccine, many Americans have undiagnosed hepatitis. Hepatitis B is the most common form of viral hepatitis diagnosedd among Asian Americans. This variant of hepatitis is spread through blood, so the most common method to diagnose is via blood tests. However, it may be difficult to recognize first signs of contraction. Many individuals who have HBV do not immediately show symptoms, while others claim they experience fatigue, headaches, fever, or even jaundice. The American Liver Foundation also notes that these symptoms may be expressed up to five months after contraction of viral hepatitis. Ultimately, not treating hepatitis can lead to more serious conditions involving the liver including cancer, liver failure, and cirrhosis. May: Nationall Hepatitis Awarenesss Month Risk Factors Testing Certain behaviors or lifestyles can increase an individual s riskk of acquiring hepatitis B. Somee of these factors include transmissionn during birth via an infected mother, having sexual intercourse with many partners, having unprotected sex, or having a sexually transmitted disease. Moreover, utilizingg injected or inhaled drugs can pose a risk, and working in facilities that involve the transfer of bodily fluids, like blood, can increase one s potential risk of becoming infected. Prevention Knowing the risk factors and changing certain daily routines can decrease the likelihood of transmission and the spreadd of the disease. These practices vary from practicing safe sex, not sharing personal hygiene products, and not sharing needles, to visiting the doctor to test if you are infected, especially if you are pregnant. If an individual suspects that they may be infected, they best way to diagnose is to visit a doctorr to have a blood test. Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, iss a disease common among manyy Americans, and Asian Americans mayy be at special riskk May 19 th is Hepatitis Testing Day Event, the same day as National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Photo Credit: progressive decline of the liver, beginning with the consequences of chronic hepatitis According to the CDC, this will be the third national Hepatitis Testing Day. Across the country health care providers are sponsoring specific events offering free hepatitis screenings. Individuals can search for an event by zip code on the CDC s event page, TD.aspx 3

4 lorem ipsum dolor Continued Not only can people search for hepatitis day events, but health care providers can also register their events at this same site. Throughout the year, the CDC also provides the resources to seek testing centers around one s area through the National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) Organizations Database. Why are Asian Americans at risk? Hepatitis B is common among many Asian countries, so Asian Americans are at special risk due to their geographic background, especially if they themselves are immigrants. The CDC states that hepatitis B is seen in 1 in 12 Asian Americans. The issue again becomes detection, because many Asian Americans do not know they are infected. Vaccination There is a vaccine for hepatitis B, and this can serve as a preventive measure against the transmission of hepatitis B. The vaccine is typically given as a series of shots of about three or four dosages that can span to a timeline of about six or more months. The government recommends that people should be Photo Credit: livercancerconnect.org vaccinated, and infants especially should be given their first series of shots following birth. Other individuals that should be vaccinated include people with HIV, those that share needles used for recreational drug use, people who plan on traveling to locations with higher than usual rates of hepatitis B, individuals who have a sexual partner that is infected with hepatitis B, and those working in fields that expose them to bodily fluids everyday. It is important to understand the risk factors and the methods of action required to treat and prevent hepatitis. For further information, visit the websites listed below CERAVIX Could there be a new method to delivering the HPV vaccine? A new HPV vaccine aimed at reducing the possibility of cervical cancer has shifted from the typical three dosage HPV vaccine method to a single dosage. A study, cited below, conveyed a high efficiency of maintaining antibodies against HPV for at least four years. Most of the American public is familiar with the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, which typically requires three dosages for the recommended effect. The issue with the new HPV vaccine is cost, and its high cost ultimately may not be that beneficial in an effort to provide such health care to other countries around the world. earch.aacrjournals.org/cont ent/6/11/1242.abstract om/2013/11/04/a-singledose-of-hpv-vaccine-maybe-enough/ 4

5 lorem ipsum dolor Photo credit: Your Health: Coffee & Diabetes Should you stretch? Stretching may be highly beneficial when coupled with exercise. Aging encourages loss of flexibility, but stretching can alleviate this loss. With limited flexibility, the body is more prone to injury. Reference: Photo credit: Popular Fitness Home DVD exercise videos are increasing in popularity among the general public. One early DVD series released in the 2000s is p90x, or Power 90 Extreme. Tony Horton, fitness expert and creator, suggests that the program operates by muscle confusion to prevent the body from getting used to the exercise routines in the program. itness_programs/p90x.do A recent study conducted by scientists reveals that there may be a more specific link between coffee and your health. There have been many discussions and studies involving the influence of coffee on various health aspects and diseases, yet a new study suggests there may be connection with type 2 diabetes. Past studies have suggested that coffee consumption may lower one s risk of this disease, but this new study suggests that a change in one s routine daily consumption can represent a risk factor or a preventative measure. A significant increase in coffee consumption was shown to correlate with a decreased risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. Decreasing consumption by a significant measure actually led to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Photo credit: A research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health suggested that coffee contains compounds that are linked to improved metabolism and improved immunity. She notes that drinking a maximum of six cups can correlate to these health benefits. Despite the vast amount of qualitative evidence conveying multiple health benefits, all types of coffee are not equally beneficial. The studies conducted on coffee simply utilized plain black coffee, but society has become used to blended coffee drinks and drinks with added sugars and cream. These forms of coffee do not illustrate added health benefits when compared with black coffee. Adding these compounds can instead be harmful to your health when consumed in an excessive amount. ndhealth.org/researc h- centre/type2diabetes -2/coffeeconsumption-andtype-2-diabetes/ 24/coffee-may- reduce-risk-for-type- 2- diabetes/?hpt=zite_z ite1_featured 5

6 Be Aware Photo credit: youqueen.co om Of AWAREE Be on the look out for our third issue coming out in June Boston University School of Social Work 264 Bay State Road Boston, MA Recipient