If you are a loyal follower of our Instagram, you will likely have seen how dedicated we are to spreading awareness about breast cancer among young people. The chances are high that you know at least one person in your life who has or has had breast cancer. We often hear that breast cancer isn’t that common below the age of 40, so why is there a need to check your boobs? Because this information is false. Even though the chances of getting breast cancer are higher once you pass the age of 40, it doesn't mean you have no risk of getting it when you’re in your twenties or thirties. Especially as a mum, it’s important to teach your children, whether they are teenagers or adults, about the early signs of breast cancer and how they can best check themselves. Our founder Lara Morgan shares her personal experience with breast cancer checkups and how she handled this with her three children.
When do you tell your children to check themselves?
The first question that comes to mind is when. When is the best time to tell your children about breast cancer and to check themselves regularly? Are their teenage years too early? We have come to learn that with a problem as serious as breast cancer, you can never raise awareness too early. After all, prevention is better than cure so naturally, we need to address this sooner rather than later. We would recommend telling your spouse in their teenage years and to keep reminding them every once in a while. Oversharing doesn’t exist when it’s about breast cancer.
Why is it so important to spread awareness?
When our founder Lara went for her first mammogram 2,5 years ago, she thought nothing of it except the fact that it was pretty discomforting, but she remained positive. Then, out of the blue, she received a letter saying that there was a 0,4% chance that she might have breast cancer and needed to come in for a second mammogram. In a split second, everything was put into perspective and suddenly you realise how important your health actually is. It comes above everything else. Lara thankfully got the news that she was all clear, but for many people this is a life changing moment where they enter a trajectory of back to back hospital visits and uncertainty. And in many cases, early discovery can save their lives, which is why it’s so important to check your boobs every month.
How to spread awareness about breast cancer
Getting two mammograms in the span of a couple of weeks, was a moment of realisation for Lara as she had never told her three children about the importance of breast checks. Suddenly, breast cancer hit too close to home and on return from the hospital, Lara immediately sat down with her girls to ensure they took regular boob checks seriously. When she heard the disbelief of her daughters that they needed to check themselves - weren’t they too young? - made Lara realise there is a common misconception that boob checks only need to be done after a certain age. Since then, Lara has been passionate to spread the message about the importance of checking yourself for breast cancer among young women.
Did you know that a staggering 67% of young women between 18-35 don’t regularly check their boobs? CoppaFeel! is the first breast cancer charity in the UK to focus on creating awareness amongst young people to help them understand and know their bodies. Scentered is supporting CoppaFeel! in their mission on the prevention of boob cancer and encouragement of self-care to affect positive mindsets, as well as how to learn to become emotionally connected and accustomed with touching your body.
To create awareness among your family and friends, we have launched the Show Your Boobs Some Love campaign. This is what you can do to actively participate in spreading more breast cancer awareness:
- Get your #boobsquad together to pledge to remind each other to check your boobs regularly
- Sign up to the CoppaFeel! text reminder service
- Buy LOVE balms to share with your squad to support CoppaFeel!
- Buy exclusive campaign merch on the Scentered website that donate to CoppaFeel! and spread the message
- Donate to CoppaFeel! through text, Facebook, Instagram, POS donation on Scentered website
- Share your #boobsquad activities on social channels to keep the conversation going
- Enter the competitions to win exclusive bundles
