Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
I’m a Black journalist, so of course publicists and PR people approach me all the time to cover anything they think is even tangentially related to Black people or Blackness.
Let me let y’all in on a little secret: Most times the thing they are pitching is only related to Black people or Blackness by the tiniest of threads or not even at all, but that doesn’t stop them from sending a wall of text email pitching their client or idea to me anyway.
Such was the case Monday when I opened what was an impersonal email that was obviously mass-sent to a bunch of Black journalists and writers to see if anyone would engage with it. The email I opened was in fact a follow-up email, and I recognized that when I opened it and saw I had missed the first time it was pitched to me a few days ago.
The subject line of the original email was “Black History Month // More Than 50% of Black Women Report a Lifetime STD, Expert Commentary Available.”
The email itself was not addressed to anyone specifically; everyone on the thread was blind copied, including me.
The body of the email went as follows:
Hi there – I hope all is well!
Did you know that 50% of Black Women have reported a lifetime STD compared to the 28% of white women? While race and ethnicity itself are not a risk factor for higher rates of STDs among this community, factors such as poverty and less access to quality health care are, and it is no secret that BIPOC communities historically struggle with inequitable health care.
Are you working on any Black History Month stories where an expert on why the black community suffers from higher rates of STIs/STDs? If so, I’d be happy to connect you with [XXX]
– the largest telehealth provider of sexual and reproductive health care in the U.S.
While women in general are more likely…
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