Yes Latinos, You Too Can Get Skin Cancer

Skin color and what this means for protecting yourself from the sun is something we’ve written about before, but a new study finds that Latinos tend to have more misconceptions about this important issue than other groups. Check out what Reuters said:

In a survey, researchers found Hispanic adults who had lived in the U.S. for longer and had better knowledge of English were more likely to wear sunscreen, as were those with more education and those who talked to their friends and family about health.

But the same people might still not cover up with long-sleeve shirts and pants or seek out shady spots for sun protection — putting them at risk for melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, researchers reported today in the Archives of Dermatology…

Out of 496 respondents, 15 percent said they always used sunscreen, compared to about 39 percent who never did. More participants — about 26 percent — said they always stayed in the shade outside on sunny days, and 13 percent always wore long-sleeve shirts…

I thought it was a really good article, but you know we’ve had this discussion before. It’s hard to balance your love of the sun with your health sometimes, at least for me it is. This story highlights some very important facts: that speaking English and being educated actually contribute greatly to the quality of your life, especially your health, and that no matter how dark you are, you need to wear sunscreen.

Even if you know the sávila cure, for sunburns you can never undo that damage.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD