Breast cancer is most definitely at the forefront of a lot of scientific research, fundraising, and awareness raising and education right now.  And for a good reason.  Behind heart disease, breast cancer is one of women’s worst enemies, with a top five death reason for women across the US.  While a lot of the research being done is extremely innovative and promising, there still remains so much more that needs to be done, and more awareness that needs to be raised. 

With celebrities like Olivia Newton John, Kylie Mynogue, Sheryl Crow and other high profile women coming out in the media and battling breast cancer publicly, it’s good to hear that our first lady Laura Bush is meeting with breast cancer survivors, first to promote awareness and get people talking about the disease, but also to make sure she gets her congratulations in and to learn more about it herself.  Oh, and I’m sure there’s a little PR involved there too, but honestly this is an issue that is and should be near and dear to every woman’s heart, no matter what position you are in on this earth.

She more specifically wanted to raise awareness about the taboo of having and treating breast cancer in the middle eastern countries, where women are ridiculed and held in less esteem than men, and treating breast cancer often becomes a difficult decision due to social restraints.  Sick, isn’t it? 

She met with middle easter women who survived cancer and heard tales of horror, what we would never dream of here in the US after being diagnosed with breast cancer.  Women being left by their mates simply for suspecting they have breast cancer, women being denied breast cancer treatment, and women fearing seeing male doctors to treat their breast cancer so much that they ignored giant tumors that were obviously cancerous. 

Reading this, I can’t help but be disgusted that there are actually still cultures that treat women so poorly, and degrade their very existence.  We really don’t know how lucky we are here sometimes, to have the freedom we often take for granted to live freely and without such terrible prejudices as they have elsewhere. 

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Posted in Breasts in the News by Breast News Girl No Comments Yet