Project Nana: Seasoning Our Seasoned Women

Abstract

There are many public health campaigns targeting women’s health. For women over 55, more prominent health campaigns tend to address issues to improve cardiovascular care, to prevent hip injuries, and to reduce the prevalence of dementias. However, it appears that health campaigns geared toward improving and maintaining gynecological health are mostly targeted to a younger audience concerned with reproductive health and fertility. This excludes a key demographic, given that postmenopausal women are at an increased risk for gynecological cancers. And while the rates of occurrence may be relatively the same among Caucasian and other women of color, black women tend to have a higher mortality rate. Black women are also disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The impact of the lack of interventions to postmenopausal women and, specifically, to this high-risk group is not only late stage diagnosis of some preventable and treatable gynecological diseases, but also a reduction in longevity and quality of life. Addressing this concern, the non-profit organization, Project Nana, Inc. was established out of an ongoing research study titled Project Nana: An Intervention to Increase the Utilization of Gynecological Services in Senior Women of Color. The study assesses attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of postmenopausal women as it relates to seeking and maintaining gynecological care. The subsequent intervention and service provided by the non-profit seeks to increase awareness, improve attitudes and beliefs, and ultimately increase gynecological care. Using a combination of educational workshops, visual and performing arts, collaborative community engagement, provider training, and peer-to-peer outreach, the goal of the intervention is to overcome educational, economic, and cultural barriers in order to reduce the late stage diagnoses of gynecological cancers and sexually transmitted infections. Since the population of senior women is expected to substantially increase in the next 30 years, prevention and early detection of disease will improve health outcomes, improve quality of life, decrease economic burdens, and decrease potential loss of valuable resources to the community-our seasoned women.