Deaf Health Equity Fast Facts

“A gray background with a yellow, blue, and black Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center logo on the top left. A South Asian male with black hair is wearing a white lab coat.

“Did you know that April is Alcohol Awareness Month? This Deaf Health lab asked 1,271 Deaf ASL users about alcohol use in the past 30 days. More than half (58%) said they drank alcohol within the past 30 days. In this group of drinkers, 9% said they drank more than once every day in 7 days.

It is important to pay attention to how much you drink. Excessive alcohol intake can affect your health, you could develop liver disease, heart problems, kidney disease, and more health complications. It is important to drink safely!”

“Gray background with a yellow, blue, and black logo at the bottom right corner. A young South Asian girl with black hair is wearing a white lab coat.

Hi! This month is Heart month!
*the girl clenches her chest*

Heart attack! Do you know why that happened? Heart attack happens because of a blood clot development from unhealthy eating habits or lack of exercising. Blood clots can also occur from factors that are unmodifiable like race and gender. Those who are most likely to develop blood clots are African Americans females.

Clots begin when blood begins to slow down in vessels, causing build-up of clots. It will either break-off and block a narrower vessel down its path or stay fixed and eventually block the entire vessel. Then blood supply is cut off, causing heart attacks or strokes. *the girl clenches her chest again*

You don’t want to be like me, right? Eat right! Exercise! Be careful!”

“A gray background with a yellow, blue, and black Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center logo on the top left. A Colombian woman with brown hair is wearing a white lab coat.

“Did you know that about 90% of people who are over 65 years old have cataracts?

Cataracts do not cause blindness but it can make your vision become blurry. The lens of the eye clouds up and develops slowly with no pressure build-up. Symptoms of cataracts include clouded or blurred vision, difficulty seeing at nighttime, seeing halo around lights, seeing colors as being less bright, and double vision.

You can address your cataracts by getting glasses, increasing your prescription, or getting surgery.”

“Blue background with a yellow logo “Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center”. A White person with brown hair is wearing a white lab coat.

“It is important to know your body, right? Did you know that cervical cancer is easy to miss, thus resulting in cancerous growth ?!

Cervical cancer is when cells in cervix grow rapidly without control. You won’t likely feel the cancerous lesion, nor it is noticeable until it is too late. That is why you should take pap smear tests to check for cancer. Did you know that health insurance will cover for the tests? Go ahead!

CDC recommends that you start pap smear test at 18-21 years old, and retake it every three years. This lab found that 78% (N=415) Deaf ASL users followed the recommendation of receiving pap smear screening test every three years.

The test consists of swabbing the cervix to gather cells, then the swabbed cells will be analyzed for possible cancerous cells.

It’s your body! Go ahead and discuss about pap smear at your next doctor appointment!”

“Gray background with a yellow, blue, and black Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center logo at the top left corner. A young white woman with brown hair is wearing a white lab coat.

“Hi there! Whew, I am so glad to have technology nowadays. I just sent a message to my doctor using my iPad! Did you know that you can communicate with your doctor using electronic health portals and the Internet??

This Deaf health lab asked 515 deaf participants if they used social media to read and share health information. We found that for deaf people who used social media for health, they communicated with their providers through emails or electronic health portals more than deaf people who did not use social media for health.

We encourage you to use email or electronic health portals to communicate with your doctor! You can talk about different test results, treatment plans, and follow up on your medication. Look – my doctor just messaged me back through my electronic health portal!””

“A gray background with a yellow, blue, and black logo at the upper right corner. An African American male is wearing a white lab coat.

“Hey there, February is Black History month! Our Deaf Health and Quality of Life Center did a survey and found that black deaf individuals were likely to be less involved in making decisions with their doctors compared to hearing black individuals. What does shared decision making mean? It’s a process where medical professionals and patients work together to make decisions and decide on what tests, treatments, and care to pursue. Shared decision allows patients and providers agree on a treatment plan TOGETHER and strengthens your relationship with your doctor! Next time you go to the doctor, discuss your issues and concerns – your health is important!”

“Transcript: Blue background with a yellow logo at the top right corner. A Caucasian male with brown hair is wearing a navy polo shirt.

“October is Depression Awareness Month. With depression, there are more symptoms than just feeling down. You may feel tired all the time, or you may have a hard time falling asleep and stay wide awake. You may start to lose motivation and interest in activities you used to enjoy. You can start feeling hopeless and alone. If you’re experiencing this, you’re not the only one.

After surveying 1,500 deaf ASL users at the Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center, 25% said that their doctor told them that they had depression or anxiety.

There is support and resources available. Talk and share about how you feel with your friends,family, and co-workers. There are counselors/therapists available, including those who are deaf; you can Google them online. If you notice someone who seems to be struggling, reach out and provide support. The little things can add up and make a difference.

Remember, you’re not alone. There are resources and support available.”

“Blue background with a yellow logo at the top right corner. A Caucasian male with brown hair is wearing a navy polo shirt.

“November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes, or high blood sugar, is common. One in 11 Americans has diabetes.

Our lab surveyed 1,700 deaf ASL users. In this group, 15% said that they were told by their doctors that they have diabetes.

Did you know that there are two types of diabetes? Type I develops when you are young, while Type II develops later in life. Symptoms can include frequent urination, constant thirst, increased hunger, increased tiredness, and blurry vision. If you suspect that you have these symptoms, discuss with your doctor.”

“Blue background with a yellow logo at the top right corner. A South Asian male with black hair is wearing a black button up shirt.

“Shoot! I forgot to get the flu shot. Have you already gotten your flu shot? If you haven’t, you better go get one now! Flu season is closer than ever!

Did you know that when 1,000 deaf participants took our survey at the Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center, 40% did not get their flu shot. Yikes – go get your shot!

Flu shots are free! You can get a free shot through your insurance, such as your university, workplace, urgent care, or your doctor. Some places don’t need insurance, such as pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, and others). Go and get your free flu shot before you become like me!”

“A gray background with a yellow, blue, and black Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Center logo on the top left. A Colombian woman with brown hair is wearing a white lab coat.

“As a deaf or hard of hearing person, we value our vision. It is important to know what can affect our eyes later in life. Glaucoma is the number one reason individuals aged 60 years or older become blind. It is a disease that damages your optic nerve. This happens because the fluid builds up in front of your eye, and this increases the pressure in your eye. When the pressure in your eye increases, this can affect the optic nerve.

Blindness can be prevented with early treatment. Glaucoma symptoms include sudden changes in vision. Symptoms may include blurry vision, eye pain, seeing rainbow-colored halos, and headaches. If you experience any of these symptoms, see a doctor right away.”