Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

You've likely seen people, cars, and websites sporting pink ribbons and advertising fundraisers.  Maybe you've sent pink foil yogurt lids in the mail.  If you're on facebook you've probably noticed mysterious status updates about where women like to keep their purses.  Oops, did I spoil the mystery?  Last year it was about the colors of our bras.

While it may be cute and garner attention, are we really raising the right issues about breast cancer?

Rather than focusing on raising awareness, perhaps we should be spreading positive information about prevention?

"Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk (a whopping 59%!!) of breast cancer in women who have a family history of the disease and at least a 28% reduction for those without one (me). And it lowers your breastfed baby girl’s lifetime risk getting breast cancer by 25%!"

My Breast Cancer: Why I Won't Race for the Cure

"It seems it's about time there was a focus on breast cancer prevention rather than just breast cancer awareness."

Should Breast Cancer Awareness Turn to Prevention?

For information about promoting breast cancer prevention and THRIVING rather than just SURVIVING, please check out the Best for Babies organization.

Their mission is "To help moms beat the “Booby Traps”–the cultural & institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals. To inspire, prepare & empower™ moms. To give breastfeeding a makeover and give moms the solutions they need to make it work!"

That's a cause I can get behind!

Another thing I found interesting, is where the money from certain fundraising groups is actually going.

For instance, of the money raised for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, only 25% goes to the Susan G. Komen organization.  Up to 75% goes to fund Planned Parenthood clinics, whose primary function is to perform abortions.  Whether or not you support abortion, I think you would agree that money raise in the name of breast cancer diagnosis should go to just that.

For a list of breast cancer fundraising groups that don't fund abortion clinics, click here.

I think it's important when we're spreading awareness and information to strive to make that information relevant, supportive, and positive.  It's also a good idea to do your homework and know which groups you're lending support to and where that support is actually going.