MHI INTRODUCES THE 2024 RELEASE THE PRESSURE CAMPAIGN
Here we go…
CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW YEAR
There are many Health Disparities we have learned about as more information becomes available in the mainstream arena. We know, for instance, that the recent onset of the COVID Pandemic revealed many imbalances across our country in healthcare delivery.
OF COURSE
Many of us already knew this, and the Pandemic simply served the role of revealing this to the entire country, in stark and undeniable ways.
BLACK WOMEN AND MATERNAL HEALTH
Black Women often find ourselves in very critical areas in healthcare. Most of that is no fault of our own, but instead a part of the legacy of racist treatment Black Women have experienced at the hands of a Healthcare system that often disregards our concerns, very often thinking we need to calm down and just relax.
THE PROOF IS FACTUAL AND POWERFUL
Black Women suffer from ailments like hypertension, diabetes, and stress related diseases at a higher rate than most other demographic groups.
Medical Organizations of note- particularly the American Heart Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the AMA Foundation, the National Medical Association (NMA), the Association of Black Cardiologists ( ABC), and of course here at the Minority Health Institute (MHI) – all have data proving that Black Women are in physical jeopardy.
To be clear, Black Women suffer more than two times the rate of Hypertension. We are at risk of being afflicted with it at younger ages, which then also risks our overall physical well-being. All of this can jeopardize the reproductive system, and can affect conception, pregnancy, and post natal health.
RELEASE THE PRESSURE (RTP)
Yes there actually IS a benefit from taking deep breaths and relaxing. The simple act of taking a pause has proven to be beneficial, no doubt.
Getting your system primed for a future pregnancy is important, too, and there are many ways to accomplish this. Things such as diet and exercise are always encouraged.
To get a baseline of your medical needs, the Release The Pressure Campaign begins your participation by advising you to learn to take and monitor your Blood Pressure regularly.
HERE
We have a Pledge for you to join us with regular Blood Pressure monitoring, and a link for you to follow in order to Learn how to effectively take your Blood Pressure and understand the numbers.
GOING FORWARD
We will have more information about how you can advocate for yourself when dealing with your medical care, and suggestions on making choices in diet and lifestyle that can help you achieve your health goals.
We also hope to have a system to help remind you to monitor your health, and help you to truly RELEASE THE PRESSURE.
CLICK PLAY below to watch a video to show you how to monitor your Blood Pressure.
TAKE THE PLEDGE to set you on the right course by making Blood Pressure Monitoring a regular part of your good health toolkit.