Blurred Borders - International Community Foundation

which many poor families cannot afford. Besides poverty and lack of health insurance, older
Latinas tend to be embarrassed about the Pap exam, which suggests to themselves, their
partners and their families that they are sexually active – something which is considered
personal and private information in the Latino culture. Stated another way, standard medical
practices in the U.S. are not always reasonable or culturally appropriate for large numbers of
U.S. residents.
To reduce the incidence of cancer in Latinas, several initiatives are under way in the San Diego-
Tijuana border region. A partnership between Planned Parenthood and a Mexican non-profit
group, Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud, has been promoting cervical and breast cancer screening
among Latinas. This successful partnership has now extended outreach to Latinas in counties
north of San Diego.
Diabetes
As more first and second-generation immigrants from Mexico adapt their lifestyles and diets to
the American way of life, diabetes has increased substantially. A recent study by UCLA
researchers found that retirement-age Latinos had twice as high rate of diabetes as Whites:
19.7% of Latinos age 50 and over had diabetes, compared to 10% of Whites. 264 While African-
Americans in the same age group have a higher rate of diabetes (22.8%), 265 the high rate of
diabetes among Latinos is a major concern for the state of California. Latinos are the fastestgrowing
population in the state, already comprising one-third of the state’s population. The
high rates of diabetes and hypertension in Latinos are also associated with a 50% higher rate of
dementia and/or undiagnosed Alzheimer’s. 266
The UCLA study also found that almost one in five Latinos (19.9%) with diabetes had been
uninsured for at least a year, compared to only 6.4% of Whites. More than half (51.1%) of the
uninsured Latinos with diabetes were not taking medication, while 27.5% of insured Latinos
reported they did not use medication. Additionally, self-monitoring of blood glucose, an
essential aspect of diabetes management, was much less common among Latinos compared to
Whites: only 35.6% of Latinos with diabetes reported that they checked their glucose daily,
compared to 54.6% of Whites. As the study’s authors advocate, culturally and linguistically
competent health care, education and outreach need to be expanded in order to fight diabetes
among Latinos.
Migrant Workers’ Health Issues
Migrant workers in San Diego, and in the United States in general, face particular challenges in
addressing their health needs. Inability to communicate effectively with health care
professionals in English, cultural differences that make them reluctant to disclose personal
health history or health problems, and the limited affordability and access to care are some of
the most prominent issues common to both documented and undocumented migrant workers.
264
Neetu Chawla, et.al.(2003), UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Fact Sheet.
265
Ibid.
266
Journal of American Geriatric Society (Haan Oct 2002)
94