October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and African-American women still have an unusually high rate of breast cancer at an early age. Studies show that white women generally develop breast cancer after menopause, but black women usually develop breast cancer earlier. In addition, it is more likely for Black women with breast cancer to die of related causes, than it is for white women.

BlackNews.com, the premier online destination for African American news, is urging Black women to get tested early. "The reason(s) why breast cancer is disproportionate amongst African-American women is unknown," says Dante Lee, CEO and president of BlackNews.com. "This is probably because the matter is understudied and initiatives aren't being funded enough. Regardless, breast cancer can be controlled if detected early, and it's important for young African-American women to begin regular testing for breast cancer now."

The University of Chicago Chronicle in partnership with the National Institutes of Health has allocated $9.7 million dollars towards research on why exactly Black women have unusually high rates of breast cancer at an early age. One professor at the University stated that the dramatic health disparity may be genetic-related or even perhaps psychosocial-related. The initiative will also research why women in Nigeria are more likely to experience breast cancer at an early age compared to African-American women. This is where the psychosocial-related theory comes into place being that Nigerian women and African-American women have similar genetics, but very different environments. It is thought that perhaps social factors contribute to stress that may be related to early onset of breast cancer.

"The African-American community should feel obligated, not only to regularly test themselves for breast cancer, but also to support and contribute to breast cancer foundations," comments Lee. Some of these organizations can be found online at www.NABCO.org (National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations), www.BreastCancer.org (Non-Profit Organization For Breast Cancer Education), www.BreastCancerFund.com (National Breast Cancer Fund), www.BlackWomensHealth.org (Black Women's Health Imperative), www.CBCFHealth.org (Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Health), and www.CABWHP.org (California Black Women's Health Project).

Breast cancer examination kits can be bought online at DrugStore.com, RiteAid.com, CVS.com, and many more online and physical locations.