Having a colonoscopy done might not be something on the top of Latino adults’ to-do list, but it can save their lives.
Armida Flores, a trained community health worker at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, spends her days helping Latinos confront cancers and illness.
Flores knows first hand that Latinos don’t get screened for colon cancer enough. A new study found that only 28 percent of U.S. Latinos have had colon cancer screening compared to others. It was because of this that she began to worry about her own health and decided to schedule a colonoscopy that will help in identifying colon cancer.
Flores told NBCLatino.com that “The procedure was fast and the staff was caring.”
The night before the procedure Flores said that she had trouble sleeping because of the liquid laxative solution she had to drink. To her surprise, she discovered that the liquid was not as bad as it is said to be.
By deciding to take action and having the colonoscopy procedure done, Flores eliminated any potential dangers to her health. Flores urges Latinos not to put themselves at risk just because of the fear. “I think people are scared because of the word or because they heard something negative about it,” said Flores. But as Flores said, “A colonoscopy could save their life.”
The State of Connecticut has information about colorectal screening on its website for a list of hospitals providing no-cost colonoscopies.
