Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1996)
*•/?*** -* M N Î M M I m H :? ; i k Jê*. ¿¿3¿i • -, T he P ortland O bserver * A pril 2 4 , 1 9 9 6 P age A 3 H ealth &Gnenrf ¿ I I • I Cruel Em ployer B etw een 1968 and 1993, m ed ical care em ploym ent alm ost tri pled and health industry profits boom ed. But that boom has left m any health w o rk ers--p articu lar- ly people of co lo r and w om en em ployed at the bottom of the m edical pecking o r d e r - w ith low w ages and benefits, according io an article in the A pril issue of the A m e ric a n J o u r n a l o f P u b lic H ealth released today. The study found that in 1993, nearly eighty percent o f health care w orkers were women and one out of five A frican A m erican w om en have health jo b s. One in seven percent of all med ical care workers lacked health in surance (up from 9 percent in 1989). Only 57.2 percent got any employer contribution toward coverage, and 597,000 lived in poverty. The study, en titled “M edical Care E m ploym ent in the U nited S tates, 1968 to 1993: The Im portance o f H ealth S ector Jobs for A frican A m ericans and W om e n ,” was auth o red fo r a N ational H e a lth P ro g ra m c o - f o u n d e r s D avid H im m elstein , M .D , and Steffie W oolhandler, M.D. along with Jam es P. L ew ontin. W hile health executives make millions, the study found that more than ten percent of all medical work ers made under $5 per hour in 1993. Among nursing home employees, 24 percent earned less than $5 per hour and 23 percent had no health coverage. Low nursing home wages particularly squeeze African Amer icans who hold 2 4 .1 percent of nurs ing home jobs, but only 15.9 percent of hospital jobs and 5.6 percent of jobs in practitioners’ offices. In 1993, nursing homes paid registered nurs es $4.68 per hour less than hospitals did, and nursing aides $2.31 per hour less. Raising nursing home aides’ wages by $2.31 per hour would have increased African Americans’ household incomes by $1.8 billion annually. "The health industry is a crucial but cruel employer for women and African Americans,” said Dr. David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard. “Crucial, be cause so many women, especially black women, work for the health industry. Cruel, because despite their runaway profits, health companies force many of their workers to live in poverty and without health insur ance,” added Himmelstein. Brinker Advocator And Educator On Breast Cancer C ancer Rises For Blacks Breast cancer is on the rise among black women and other women of color. Chances are, ev eryone knows someone who has had or now has breast cancer. It is the leading cause of death from cancer among African American women. Any woman can get breast can cer but the chances are higher as women age or if there is a history of breast cancer in the family, es pecially diagnoses before age 50. Breast cancer rates among black women are higher than among white women says the African American Breasts Cancer Alliance. One reason, studies show, is that black women get diagnosed only after the disease has spread. Advocates suggest women over 40 have regular mamograms, wom en over 20 have regular clinical breast exams given by a doctor or other health care provider and ev ery w om an exam ine her own breasts every month. Are You Walking Wrong? What could be more natural than walking? And although you’ve been walking an average of 8,(XX) to I (),(XX) steps per day since the age of one, you may be doing it wrong and causing yourself unnecessary aches and pains. Spring is the right time to make sure you’re walking correctly -- so you can avoid foot problems when you in crease your level of activity or step up your exercise regimen. “Walking comes naturally for most of us—so much so that sometimes we neglect to follow a few easy rules. like warning up or wearing the right shoes,” said Dr. Robin Ross, New- York-based podiatrist and member of the Dr. Scholl's Health Council. "These ‘bad walking habits’ could lead to intense discomfort and future foot problems.” Officials Say Ebola Virus Under Control Health officials said they have halt ed the spread of the Ebola virus that infected several monkeys imported by a south Texas breeding center. Half of the ICX) monkeys in the shipment were killed and their car casses incinerated after the Ebola Reston strain infected at least three monkeys quarantined at the breeding center. “A preliminary test of one of the remaining monkeys had suggested that it might have the Ebola Reston virus, but further testing showed that it does not,” Texas health commissioner Dav id Smith said. The 50 healthy monkeys will re main quarantined for another three weeks, and will be tested again for the Ebola strain before they are released. Smith said. Eight handlers who had contact with the infected monkeys also remained under observation but had not been quarantined and showed no symptoms of a viral infection. Smith said. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! ns X -C X X k The Centers for Disease Control “hot ¿zone team” was called in last weekend after the second monkey in the shipment fell ill and had to be killed. The monkeys had been imported from Filipino breeder Ferlite Scien tific Research Inc. Monkey imports from the Philippines since have been halted while breeding farms there are tested. The Ebola Reston strain — made famous in the best-selling novel "The Hot Zone” — was named after a 1989 outbreak at a monkey facility in Reston, Virginia. The Reston and Texas primate fa cilities both are owned by HRP Inc., and breed monkeys for biomedical research. •S ome Nancy G Brinker is a national leader in the fight against breast can cer. A national advocate for breast cancer issues and a leader in the field of breast cancer education and re search, Brinker founded The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Founda tion. In 1982, Brinker established and named the Komen Foundation in honor of her sister. Susan, w ho died of the disease. To date. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has raised more than $40 million, awarded more than 275 research grants and provided screening ser vices and support networks for wom en and their families across the coun try. Brinker then established the Race for the Cure Series, now the nation's largest series of 5k runs, which raised funds and builds awareness for breast cancer. In 1984, Brinker was diagnosed with breast cancer. Because of her sister’s experience. Brinker knew N ancy G. Brinker early detection was the key and sought (he most advanced treatment options possible. Brinker’s own fight and survival of breast cancer, coupled with the death of her sister, increased her motivation to educate women about the disease and how to prevent it. To this end, Brinker wrote The Race Is Run One Step At A Time: Every W om an’s Guide to Taking Charge of Breast Cancer. In addi tion, she is CEO of In Your Corner Inc., a socially responsible company providing quality health-related prod ucts to consumers such as "The Gift,” a critically acclaimed entertaining kit that teaches women how to do a monthly breast self exam. In addition, Brinker served a pres idential appointment on the National Cancer Advisory Board (1986-1992), the three-member President’s Can cer Panel (1991-1992), and acted as chairw om an of a subcom m ittee ( 1992-1993) to study the progress of breast cancer research and education in the United States and around the world. She also serves as a director for Caremark International and PRN, Inc., as well as the Harvard Univer sity School of Public Health. Brinker resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband, restaurant indus try leader Norman Brinker, and their son, Eric. Hope For The Follicaly Challenged Aging baby boomers are rapidly expanding the follicaly challenged population. Over 90 million individu als (55 million men and 35 million women) currently suffer from hair loss in North America alone. Unfortunate ly this expanding demographic has spurred a new round of potions and snake oils that promise Io increase your hair follicles while depleting your savings. The lack of accurate informa tion and vanity makes the follicaly impaired easy prey to imaginative hucksters. What are the facts? Duke Univer s ity recently confirmed that the gener al cause of hair loss in both sexes is due to the excessive build-up of DHT in the hair follicle. DHT, created from the male hormone testosterone is the culprit in hair loss. The difference between individuals who suffer from hair loss and those that do not is basi cally that the follicaly impaired are genetically programmed, through he redity, to accumulate more DHT in their hair follicles than those who keep their "crowning glory.” This shatters the myth that bald persons are more manly because they have more testosterone, and confirms that hair loss is inherited from your par ents. Men naturally have a higher per centage of testosterone than women. However, birth control, medication, illness, pregnancy and menopause can escalate a women's testosterone level high enough to cause excess hair loss. Usually women suffer from an overall thinning of the hair, opposed to the classic male "Horseshoe pattern." Most women just want to regain the thicker hair of their youth Som e products claim to restore hair follicle of sham poo and se bum buildup (thus now freed from blockage hair may spring to the surface). Rarely does this a p proach work how ever, and if it does it may release only a few hairs which would hardly cover a bald scalp. S pray p a in t, hair thickeners and w igs have their lim itations, and for many people are not c o n s id e re d “ o p tio n s .” R ogaine w ithout a prescription will soon be av ailable to c o n sum ers, how ever past sales sta tistics indicate results have been q u estio n ab le. 'Hie correct approach is to reduce the amount of DHT that builds up in the hair follicle. Several new drugs which have been in use to reduce the testosterone level in prostate cancer patients show promise, but the listed side effects include loss of sex drive and impotency. In theory this is some what like castration (eunuchs and castratos did not suffer from hair loss). The US and European governments have recently granted a patent to Kevis Labs of Italy for their new treatment. The Kevis program consists of two steps. First a cleansing with its low detergent shampoo which moisturize and oxygenates the scalp, then a light massage of the Kevis hair lotion di rectly into the scalp. Kevis molecules are heavy enough to penetrate the hair follicle and once inside binds itself to the same recep tors which normally receive the DHT molecule. As these Kevis molecules accumulate in the scalp the build up of DHT reduce due to lack of space (lack of receptor sites). Clinical tests performed at dozens of universities and hospitals in Europe demonstrated an 80% success rate when treatment is used for at least 12 months and when started at an early stage of hair loss. Kevis is not FDA approved as a drug, it is considered a cosmetic. b o o - b o o s , a kiss can ' t fix . nj X X & > X □ 2? X i Hi O°OCZNG t h e N e w F r e e d o m P l a n 4 rt;RiNG T h e W e e k e n d O p t i o n . ns I X & Introducing T he Freedom Plan, ns X -C 3 ns X the radical new w e ig h t-lo ss plan designed for the way you really I to_ live You’ll find it easy to follow during the week T hen on the w eekends, you can relax and indulge a little — and still get results It's the perfect balance of freedom and 3 X ns X ns X 1" c to X to control G e t started w ith T he Freedom Plan today “ Zu,, (503) 297-1021 Join Any Meeting Any Time! NORTHEAST PORTLAND NORTH PORTLAND Tillamook Park Bldg. University of Portland 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. Columbia Hall (Enter from Portsmouth) Wednesday, 4:45 p.m. NORTHWEST PORTLAND ESCO 2108 N. E 41st Ave Mon. 7:00 p.m. Tues. 7:00 p.m. Wed. 9:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m. Thurs. 7:00 p.m Fri. 9:30 a m. Temple Baptist Church 2141 N.W. 25th Avenue 1319 N.E. 7th (25th & Vaughn) Fireside Room s ’ Lab Bldg., 2nd Floor Auditorium Tues. 12:00 Noon JC Thursday, 12:00 Noon * X Offer valid In participating a re a s only for a limited time. 5 S' I• • • WottStn •«« Own*, •» * • WllGMT WATCHtRS oodamoA AM nftot 2> S Hallelujah! Hallelujahl Hallelujahl Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! X to L to 3- X to ÍC c to kJ X to FREE Immunizations Available - April 21 through 27, 1996 aw X X Ä Polio. Measles. Diphtheria. W hooping Cough. The fact is, once a child contracts a scary disease like this, there's not much a par ent can do. It's up to the doctors. And fate. Which makes it inconceivable that 33% o f Oregon children still aren't fully im m unized by the age of two. Yes, School Law requires they be im m u nized by kindergarten. But unfortunately, that law also creates the perception that it's okay to wait until then. People don't realize that wait ing puts their infants at risk, llnim m unized infants are not protected. Therefore, they are more likely to get diseases and to have severe side effects from them. Truth is, 80% o f all vaccines can be given by age two. Safely. All it takes is four quick vis its to the doctor. Meaning you must follow through with all the shots. They don't have to cost a lot either. Most im portant, don't be afraid to ask your doctor, nurse practitioner or health depart m ent questions. And keep track o f your child's im m unization schedule. After all, the one who can best take care o f your baby is you. For the times and dates of the clinic nearest you call your local Health Department or 1-800-SAFENET for more information. X to 5 c to t O R E C, O N P R E S C I I O () I N