Urban Indian Health Institute

SAVE the DATE!

Urban Indian Heath Organizations (UIHO) and state breast and cervical cancer early detection programs (BCCEDP) are invited to join the WEAVING Project’s third quarterly conference call/webinar on Wednesday, July 15th at 10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET.

On this webinar, guest speakers will discuss collaboration and outreach successes, challenges, and lessons learned.  WEAVING Project staff will also introduce the WEAVING Project’s new website.

Instructions on how to access the webinar are being sent via email and save-the-date postcard.  If you have not received this information, please contact the UIHI at (206) 812-3030 and access information will be emailed to you.

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have been sharing oral histories for centuries. This strong tradition of story telling provides an excellent opportunity for the communication of family health history. Diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer typically run in families, and knowing what you are predisposed to can help you understand health risks and assist you in making healthy lifestyle choices.

To encourage urban AI/AN families to collect and use family health history, the UIHI, in collaboration with Genetic Alliance, launched the Family Health History Project. Working with our community advisory board, project staff at the UIHI adapted a national family history tool for the urban AI/AN population. The tool is comprised of two guide books that assist in the collection of family health history and outline the relationship between genetics and disease risk.  These books can be downloaded here:

 Book 1: Does it Run in the Family? A Guide to Family Health History (PDF)
 Book 2: Does it Run in the Family? A Guide for Understanding Genetics and Health (PDF)

Visit the UIHI Family Health History project page for more information.

The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) launched National HIV Testing Day to promote the importance of counseling, testing, and early diagnosis.  June 27, 2009 marks the 14th observance of National HIV Testing Day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one out of five people in the U.S. living with HIV are unaware of their HIV status.  The CDC also reports that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have the third highest rate of HIV and AIDS diagnosis in the United States, following African Americans and Hispanics.  The following websites provide testing resources and informational posters and flyers that can be used in your agency to help raise awareness of HIV testing.

The National Association of People with AIDS

U.S Department of Health and Human Services

National HIV and STD Testing Resources