SHAMELESS RACIST CAMPAIGN HELD IN QUEBEC
by Madi Lussier
The Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux in Québec has been continuously promoting an unashamed racist, anti-white STD awareness campaign and nobody seems to articulate any complaint about it.
I began looking into their archives as my curiosity had been triggered by the two tasteless posters seen in Montreal metro stations. The posters featuring two white people, in a humiliating posture, remind of torturing procedures.
This obviously monochromatic campaign is in blatant contrast with the omnipresent multiracial approach commonplace in modern advertising. The “token minority” is awkwardly and suspiciously absent.
Revolted by the Quebecois visual campaign, I checked out some USA sites. What I found is worth to read.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/fact_sheets.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no6/sorvillo.htm
You can notice the racially diverse models used. Clearly, the USA position on the subject is evidently a down-to-earth one while that of Quebec is nothing but fetid fear of displeasing ethnic sensitivities.
In the Unites States
Here are a few fragments you can read on the USA sites. The documents state that African-American women are the major transmitters and carriers of Trichomonas vaginalis .
“Trichomonas vaginalis may be emerging as one of the most important cofactors in amplifying HIV transmission, particularly in African-American communities of the United States. In a person co-infected with HIV, the pathology induced by T. vaginalis infection can increase HIV shedding. Trichomonas infection may also act to expand the portal of entry for HIV in an HIV-negative person. Studies from Africa have suggested that T. vaginalis infection may increase the rate of HIV transmission by approximately twofold. Available data indicate that T. vaginalis is highly prevalent among African-Americans in major urban centers of the United States and is often the most common sexually transmitted infection in black women. Even if T. vaginalis increases the risk of HIV transmission by a small amount, this could translate into an important amplifying effect since Trichomonas is so common. Substantial HIV transmission may be attributable to T. vaginalis in African-American communities of the United States.”
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats08/trends.htm
Chlamydia and gonorrhea
Again, racial minorities, especially African-Americans, are the most severely affected by chlamydia and gonorrhea.
“Racial minorities continue to face severe disparities across all three reportable STDs. While racial disparities persist overall, African-Americans, especially young African-American women, are the most heavily affected. Young African-American women face significantly higher rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea than any other group, while the highest rates of syphilis are among African-American men.”
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats08/trends.htm
African-Americans
Gonorrhea: Blacks represent only 12 percent of the total U.S. population, but made up more than 70 percent of gonorrhea cases in 2008 — one of the greatest disparities of any disease, and the most severe racial disparity of all reportable STDs. In 2008, the gonorrhea rate among blacks was more than 20 times higher than that of whites (625.0 cases per 100,000 vs. 31.0). Black girls 15 to 19 years of age had the highest gonorrhea rate of any group (2,934.6 cases per 100,000) in 2008, followed closely by black women 20 to 24 years of age (2,777.0).
Chlamydia: The chlamydia rate among blacks in 2008 was more than eight times higher than that of whites (1,519.3 cases per 100,000 vs. 173.6). As with gonorrhea, young African-American women are at greatest risk. In 2008, black girls 15 to 19 years of age had the highest chlamydia rate of any group (10,513.4 cases per 100,000), followed by black women 20 to 24 years of age (9,373.9).
Syphilis: The syphilis rate among blacks was about eight times higher than that of whites in 2008 (17.3 cases per 100,000 vs. 2.2). While this represents a substantial decline from 1999, when the rate among blacks was 29 times greater than among whites, significant disparities remain. For the last five years, increases in syphilis have been greater among blacks than among whites. The rate of reported syphilis cases among black men increased to 28.0 cases per 100,000 in 2008, up from 22.9 in 2007. Similarly, the syphilis rate among black women increased to 7.6 cases per 100,000 in 2008, compared to 5.5 in 2007. During the same time period, there were much smaller increases among white men (4.0 cases per 100,000 in 2008 vs. 3.7 in 2007) and white women (0.5 cases per 100,000 in 2008 vs. 0.4 in 2007).
Hispanics
In 2008, Hispanics also experienced significant disparities across all reportable STDs.
Gonorrhea: The rate of reported gonorrhea infections among Hispanics was more than twice that of whites (66.8 cases per 100,000 vs. 31.0).
Chlamydia: Overall rates of chlamydia were almost three times higher among Hispanics than whites (510.4 cases per 100,000 vs. 173.6).
Syphilis: The rate of reported syphilis cases among Hispanics was double that of whites (4.7 cases per 100,000 vs. 2.2).
American Indian/Alaska Natives
In 2008, American Indian/Alaska Natives were also disproportionately affected by STDs.
Gonorrhea: Gonorrhea rates among American Indian/Alaska Natives were 3.6 times higher than those of whites (110.2 cases per 100,000 vs. 31.0).
Chlamydia: Chlamydia rates were 4.7 times higher among American Indian/Alaska Natives than among whites (808.8 cases per 100,000 vs. 173.6).
Syphilis: The rate of reported syphilis among American Indian/Alaska Natives was comparable to that of whites (2.3 cases per 100,000 vs. 2.2).
Reported racial disparities may exist, in part, because racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to seek care in public health clinics that report STDs to CDC more completely than private providers. However, this reporting bias does not fully explain these differences. Socioeconomic barriers to quality healthcare and STD prevention and treatment services have also likely contributed to higher STD rates among racial and ethnic minorities. Ensuring that minority communities have access to STD prevention, screening, treatment, and partner services needed to improve health is critical to addressing these disparities.
In Quebec- Blatant Racist Campaigns
2002-2003 Campaign- Image used: statues in a cemetery, all featuring white people.
2004-2005 Campaign- Images used: an image featuring two white people.
http://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/sujets/prob_sante/itss/index.php?id=42,73,0,0,1,0
2005-2006 Campaign- Images used: two images featuring a white heterosexual and homosexual couple, and a collage featuring all white people, with one exception: a male with an afro hair style, probably of mixed race.
http://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/sujets/prob_sante/itss/index.php?id=41,299,0,0,1,0
2006-2007 Campaign- Images used: images featuring underwear.
2007-2008 Campaign- Images used: a poster featuring white people.
2008-2009 Campaign- Images used: a poster featuring a car.
2009-2010 Campaign -Images used: two posters featuring a white female, respectively a white male (see photo).
According to the provincial visual campaign, all non-white races are immune to STDs, as STDs do not affect racially diverse people. Such approach is hard to comprehend if we read some PDF documents on the governmental site that state that Haitians and those from the sub-Saharan countries are mostly targeted by STD in Quebec.
Quebec should learn how to run a STD campaign from the USA.
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