Well, it actually started last Friday, but Feel Your Boobies Week runs from October 9-16. According to its website, Feel Your Boobies is a breast cancer non-profit organization whose mission is to create an annual reminder campaign that utilizes unexpected and unconventional methods to remind young women to ‘feel their boobies.’
The organization was created in 2004 after the founder, Leigh Hurst, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 33-years-old. She was only feeling her breasts when she found a lump- not through a traditional breast self-exam. Feel Your Boobies began as a few fun t-shirts Hurst made to remind friends to feel their boobies.
She chose to use unexpected and unconventional methods because based on her experience, a lot of younger women ignore breast cancer messages. Why? 1) We don’t think we’re at risk; and 2) The messages are too clinical. Luckily, research shows that just feeling your boobies (or having breast awareness) is just as useful in detecting lumps and other breast changes as the conventional breast self-exam.
So, ladies, feel your girls this week and remind your friends.
For more info (and to make a photo like the one below, check out www.feelyourboobies.com).
——
Jamie
