January 2025 Health Equity Link

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HHS Office of Minority Health

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January 2025  |  View as a webpage

Health Equity Link

In this Issue

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

cervical

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, also known as Cervical Health Awareness Month, is celebrated in January to raise awareness of cervical cancer and promote prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Cervical cancer is preventable and curable when it’s detected early and managed effectively. Certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are the main cause of cervical cancer.

Although about 11,500 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year, Black and Hispanic women are disproportionately impacted. In a 2022 study, Black/African American women were 30% more likely to develop cervical cancer and 60% more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women; Hispanic women also had a 51% higher age-adjusted incidence of cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women.

The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) is focused on cervical health and cervical cancer prevention all year long. Promote the importance of cervical health by sharing prevention messages from NCCC throughout the month. You can also take steps to help raise awareness to eliminate this preventable cancer by using the Toolkit for Advocates which has printable materials, a sample press release, social media content, and more.

This January, learn more about HPV and how you can protect your health by getting vaccinated for HPV early and having regular screening tests to help prevent cervical cancer. Check out this fact sheet from the Office on Women’s Health for answers to common questions about Pap smears and HPV tests.

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Think Cultural Health: 25th Anniversary of National CLAS Standards

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Join Think Cultural Health (TCH) in celebrating 25 years of the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (National CLAS Standards).

For over two decades, the National CLAS Standards have guided health and health care professionals in the provision of care and services that are responsive to individual cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy levels, and communication needs. When individuals are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate information, they are better able to create healthier outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities.

The TCH Health Equity Timeline lists major advances in addressing health disparities in the United States starting with the release of the Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health, also known as the Heckler Report. The Heckler Report mobilized U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) efforts to eliminate health and health care disparities. The timeline highlights key legislative actions, influential reports, and the establishment of health programs dedicated to eliminating health disparities.

You can learn more about the National CLAS Standards on the TCH website. To keep up-to-date with CLAS in health and health care, subscribe to the Think Cultural Health quarterly newsletter.

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Marketplace Open Enrollment Deadline (January 15)

marketplace

It’s time to shop and select a health plan for 2025 coverage. The Marketplace Open Enrollment Period at HealthCare.gov runs until January 15 for coverage that starts on February 1. All HealthCare.gov plans cover ten essential health benefits, including wellness visits, preventive services, prescriptions, and more, at no cost.

Visit HealthCare.gov to compare plans today. All consumers shopping for health insurance coverage — even those who currently have coverage through the Marketplace — should fill out an application and enroll or re-enroll by logging in to HealthCare.gov and CuidadodeSalud.gov or calling 1-800-318- 2596 (TTY is 855-889-4325). Free help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and assistance is available in over 200 languages. Enroll today and #GetCovered by affordable, quality health insurance.

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OMH Knowledge Center Resources

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In recognition of National Healthy Weight Week (January 19 – 25), the OMH Knowledge Center is sharing a collection of recent articles focused on nutrition and its effect on overall health in racial and ethnic minority populations. These articles touch on culturally tailored nutrition interventions, the relationship between food insecurity and obesity, the role of parenting in improving children's diets, and more. These resources are available to access and read online for free.

You can access this collection through the OMH Knowledge Center online catalog.

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