[LIFE]: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October and Highlighting Breast Cancer.

Every year, South Africa turns pink in October to highlight breast cancer and how many women (and even men) it affects in the country. I will be frank with you, I hate the dreaded c-word. It’s taken so many people away from me and I wish and pray that a cure will one day be found. I even feel awkward writing this post but I just wanted to remind all the beautiful ladies out there to look after themselves.

I collaborated with Shoot The Moon and the lovely Mpumi and Samantha to bring a different kind of pink, a natural pink, in terms of the beautiful bougainvillia wall to bring more attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Where Does One Start with Getting Information?

It’s so important for women to be empowered with knowledge about their bodies and their health.  Regular checkups are a definite must, as well as your annual pap smear.

Organizations like CANSA has so much information on their website which you can read over here

“Awareness of the symptoms, and early detection through screening, can help lead to earlier diagnosis, resulting in improved treatment outcomes. Awareness of risk factors can help women reduce their personal cancer risk.”

CANSA advises that one can reduce risk through regular examinations:
Self Breast Examinations

Clinical Breast Examinations

Mammograms

Did you know that a national CANSA Clinical Breast Examination Day will be held on the 26th October 2018? PS: screening will be free of charge.

The Pink Drive

Another place for information and one that had some interesting myths and facts, is the website of the Pink Drive.  What is the Pink Drive? It’s an organization that “currently runs four “Pink” mobile breast check units, as well as nine educational cars. All units travel to semi-urban and urban areas around South Africa with the aim of enabling numerous disadvantaged communities access to diagnostic mammography screening, education, physical examinations and how to do breast self-examination.”  – Pink Drive.

Some of their latest statistics include that they’ve done over 15,000 Mammograms; Performed over 130,000
clinical breast examinations and have educated over 391,000 women on breast health.

You can check out more of what they do and how you can help over on their website

ps: Many moons ago (as in 5 years ago) I posted about Consol donating a percentage to Breast Cancer research for the sales of their pink Grip & Go bottles , I’m not too sure if they still do this? I will do some research and let you know!

Love your body; love yourself!

Photography by Shoot The Moon