In response, the National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH) has issued a “call-to-action” to encourage African-Americans especially to take advantage of free preventive sexual health care services, including the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, female contraceptives, pap smears and screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
“Knowledge is power. It’s important to take charge of your own sexual health, and get informed about the services that are recommended for you,” coalition Co-Director Susan Gilbert said in a news release announcing the effort. “Don’t assume that you are automatically getting these services when you go to your health care provider.”
The NCSH website provides an action plan to make sexual health choices, as well as a guide, with tips and tools, that can be downloaded.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force are encouraging
While the advice is universal, organizers are targeting African-American women particularly because they have been disproportionately affected by a lack of access to medical services and preventive care.
For example, the coalition reported that in 2013, about 34 percent of Black girls and 16 percent of black boys received all three doses of the HPV anti-cancer vaccine, about 44 percent of sexually active African-American girls and women ages 15-21 were not screened annually for Chlamydia, which is a leading cause of preventable infertility, and more than a third of African-Americans have never been tested for HIV.
It is recommended that all sexually active people, regardless of race, be tested at least once for HIV, and be tested annually if they are at increased risk because of a variety of factors, including multiple partners or intravenous drug use.
