Charlottesville women’s health event highlights disparities and prevention

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Women were able to get health checkups for free at Mount Zion First African Baptist Church in Charlottesville on Saturday, July 19.

The event focused on addressing health disparities, especially among Black women, and making preventive care more accessible.

“A lot of times we’re so busy taking care of everyone else, we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves,” said Jacklene Martin, UVA Health Director of Community Partnerships and Health Equity.

Now, women are taking that time.

UVA Health and the African American arts and culture group Chihamba, hosted a wellness event designed to get more women in for screenings, checkups, and conversations about their health.

Martin helped organize the event, and she says was open to everyone, but the message to Black women was critical.

“Look at the data,” Martin said. “The data is very clear. Black women have either the worst outcomes when we have some sort of disease, or we are late getting it diagnosed.”

Doctor Joann Pinkerton, director of UVA’s Midlife Center, says culture plays a big role in whether women feel comfortable seeking care.

“In different cultures they need to learn what their risks are and what steps they need to take,” Dr. Pinkerton said.

Even talking about health can be the first step to healing, Pinkerton says.

“Sometimes if you can just talk about it, then we just really encourage you to make that appointment and then keep the appointment,” Pinkerton said.

When women are educated, Pinkerton says their communities benefit too.

“If we could educate women, and they take that information back to their family and their friends and their community, it’ll really start to increase the health of our community, and that’s what we need,” Pinkerton said.

That’s the goal of events like these. So experts are spreading knowledge, building trust, and making women’s health a priority.

“You know what your numbers are and address them before they have some type of crisis,” Martin said. “It’s just an important thing for us to do.”

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