October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nationally and internationally organizations promote breast cancer screening every October by conducting breast cancer awareness activities. The most obvious activity is the wearing of pink ribbons by men and women of all ages. The pink ribbon is worn to show support of breast cancer survivors, to raise awareness about breast cancer, to encourange women to peform self-exams or to have mammograms. Why a pink ribbon?
Mary Lasker, a famous research scientist, said: "if you think research is expensive, you should try disease." Pink ribbons are sometimes used to generate funds for research, an important step in fighting this disease.
The pink ribbon is benfeficial on many levels. Through mass-marketing and advertising we have come to think of breast cancer awareness and pink ribbons 1 in the same. It has become so prevalent that when one spots a pink ribbon they subconciously associate it with breast cancer. It is this ability that makes the pink ribbon a very powerful tool in the fight against breast cancer.
The first step in fighting this disease is awareness. If the disease is not detected, it can not be fought. If it is not detected, it can not be researched. If it can not be researched, it can not be prevented.
Pink ribbons will not cure breast cancer. No organizations make the claim they will. But the sight of one ribbon may encourage one woman to do a self-exam revealing one small lump that may be fought to remission!
Pink ribbons will not prevent breast cancer. And no organizations claim they will. But the sight of one ribbon may encourage one woman to schedule a yearly mammogram, and possibly detecting and preventing the spread of cancer if it exists.
Pink ribbons will not treat breast cancer. But they may generate funds for organizitions researching the causes of this disease and the drugs and therapies used to fight it.
Pink ribbons will not save lives. No organization claims they will. But they may subconciously encourage men and women to be more aware of the disease and the benefits of early detection.
Breast cancer research is expensive and strides have been made in detection tests and treatments. By encouraging exams and funding research this disease may take less lives. Men and women do go into remission from this disease, some forms of it can be treated. These survivors often wear pink ribbons to show others there is hope. We also wear ribbons in rememberance of those lost.
In October many organizations encourage the wearing of ribbons for many different reasons. If you have a pink ribbon, wear it with pride! Whether it is a stunning piece of jewelry you bought to celebrate your anniversary of being "cancer free" or a sticker you got in a magazine... wear it with price! If you do not wear a ribbon, consider what might happen if you were to wear one. Perhaps you have it on at the local grocery. A young cashier or clerk in her early 20s, invincible, may notice it. She may decide to do a self-exam because she's never done one, but she saw your ribbon and it subconciously spoke to her. She may find a lump, she may not. It may be benign, it may not. She may call her sister, or best friend and tell them what she found/didn't find. Your ribbon may cause a chain reaction that may or may not save a life. ?Consider all the people you see in a month, the banker, drycleaner, waiter/waitress, grocery clerk, coffee attendant.... all the people that will notice the ribbon and may begin examing themselves or encouraging their friends and family members to do self-tests.
Whether or not you've been touched by breast cancer, we encourage you to participate in activities that raise awareness about this disease. The easiest thing to do is to wear a pink ribbon.. but its effects can be amazing! You many view our ribbon pins here. |
