Hispanic

It is an unfortunate fact that many diseases affect Hispanics more than other groups. For example:

• Hispanic men and women are twice as likely to have, and to die from, liver cancer. Hispanic women are more likely to have stomach cancer and cervical cancer than other women.
• Hispanic children are more likely to have asthma than other children.
• Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV infection than non-Hispanic white women.
• Hispanic men and women are more likely to have AIDS and are more likely to die from HIV/AIDS.
• Hispanic women are more likely to have a stroke than other women.
• Hispanics are twice as likely to die from viral hepatitis. They are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Hepatitis A and adults 40 years and over are 30% more likely to develop Hepatitis B.

The fastest and safest way to determine whether new treatments work for these and other diseases is through clinical research. Yet it’s often difficult to find volunteers - especially minorities - willing to participate in clinical trials. There is a shortage of participants in clinical research and minority participation is even lower than in the general population.

Although Hispanics suffer disproportionately from such diseases as diabetes, asthma, and certain cancers, they are underrepresented in clinical trials. The Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI) is collaborating with JUNTA for Progressive Action to help increase the participation of the local Hispanic community in clinical trials. The partnership helps ensure that clinical studies are designed to combat diseases that affect New Haven’s Hispanic community.

Representatives of JUNTA, New Haven’s oldest Latino community based non-profit organization, are serving as cultural ambassadors to Yale’s research programs, advising investigators how best to raise awareness of clinical research. YCCI provides cultural ambassadors with intensive training on clinical research topics so that they are able to answer your questions about participating in research. It is our hope that this collaboration will increase the participation of members of the Hispanic community in clinical research. Our goal is to bring medical advances to patients who need them.

Read our cultural ambassador's bios here.