The Black Women’s Health Study has followed 59,000 self-identified Black women across the US since 1995. The goal has been to assess risk factors for cancers and other majors illnesses in Black women.
Why? Black Women have higher rates of many illnesses/medical conditions such as
- high blood pressure
- breast cancer at younger ages,
- higher breast cancer mortality
- diabetes
- stroke
- lupus
- fibroids
The women in the study were asked to completed questionnaires every 2 years beginning in 1995 to provide information regarding education, diet, contraceptive and lifestyle choices. The study participants were subscribers to Essence magazine, members of the Black Nurses’ Association and friends and relatives of respondents resulting in the largest follow-up study of the health of Black women to date.
The use of perms (chemical hair relaxers) and uterine cancer.
The use of perms has been inconsistently linked to to estrogen-dependent cancers. In 1997, the Black Women’s Health Study began tracking the use of perms in 44,798 Black Women with intact uteri. These women were queried about the frequency and duration of the use of perms over the next 22 years. Over this time period 347 incidences of uterine cancer were diagnosed.
The results showed than among these Black postmenopausal women the risk of uterine cancer increased with perm frequency. The highest risk was identified in Black postmenopausal women who had use perms for 20 for more years.
And elevated risk of uterine cancer was not seen with the use of perms in premenopausal women.
Bertrand K et al. “Hair relaxer use and risk of uterine cancer in the Black Women’s Health Study” Environmental Research. Volume 239, Partq, 15 December 2023, 117228
