VOICES of Black Women is a long-term study working in conjunction with the Population Science team and American Cancer Society (ACS) that aims to enroll at least 100,000 black women in the United States over the next few years. According to ACS researcher, Alpa Patel, there has been an underrepresentation of black women in their studies historically.

“So, we are launching this new study called Voices of Black Women to build on that legacy of population studies where we can really understand what the unique multi -level drivers of cancer risk and poor outcomes unfortunately for black women are. We know that black women disproportionately die if they hear the words, you have cancer, “said Patel.

The hope is that the participants will help researchers overcome previous limitations from under-representation. Information from the volunteers will help optimize the health of Black women for generations to come by giving ACS VOICES researchers the opportunity to:

• Advance the knowledge of the health conditions that affect Black women.
• Inform strategies for interventions to help Black women decrease their risk for certain diseases.
• Inform advocacy efforts that initiate, support, or expand health policies based on evidence-based research.

Tashia James became a volunteer for Voices of Black Women and an ambassador for ACS after losing so many family members to cancer.

“I wanted to elevate black women's voices so that my sisters, my children, that we could understand the environmental impact on our lives and how we can change it for future generations. I also have had several family members that have lost their lives to cancer, and I want to know why. So that is really what motivated me and making sure that women know how to, you can't necessarily prevent cancer, but you know, the steps that you can take. So that is what motivated me to participate in this study, “said James.

ACS will be building partnerships with the women who are engaging in the study. If you would like to sign up, CLICK HERE.

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