Pink Sharpies and pom-poms and government buildings, oh my! I’m betting it hasn’t escaped your notice that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The White House and Buckingham Palace were turned pink earlier this month. Football games from high school to NFL have been spotted with pink. Wal-Mart has an entire section devoted to peddling products supporting breast cancer awareness. The month is devoted to educating women (and men) about what they can do to screen for the disease early and to raising money to fund research for treatments. Studies show 225,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about giving those women resources and support they need.
One of the largest efforts comes from the NFL, which is partnering with the American Cancer Society to present the campaign entitled “A Crucial Catch.” The program focuses on the importance of early screenings to treatment of breast cancer. You may have noticed the pink wristbands, towels, gloves, goalposts, hats and cleats. All of those are being auctioned online; as of Tuesday, Heath Miller and Michael Vick’s game-worn Breast Cancer Awareness jerseys were going for over $4,800 a piece.
The strongest person I know retired several years ago only to start right back to work, fighting to defeat breast cancer. My grandmother won that fight, but it came back in her bones and she now battles daily to keep going. Through it all, she remains the unimaginably caring woman who made sweet tea and snacks to go with my tiny tea set and taught me empathy for other people when I came home fuming about first grade scuffles. I fight against breast cancer for my grandmother, but I believe everyone should have equal access to information and prevention because of her.
So here’s what you should do: Perform a breast examination monthly. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns. For women over 40, schedule a mammogram once a year. Drink water, exercise and be mindful of your family history. Live the best life you can, and don’t be afraid to be proactive.
A health care amendment passed in 2009 granted women access to low-cost mammograms. And the recent women’s health amendment grants you free health screenings. Not to mention, the Longest Student Health Center is always available to help our students. Amid all the arguing about Obamacare and what a good government health plan looks like, I find it hard to believe anything but the idea everyone should have equal access to both preventative care and treatment.
Cancer is enough of an enemy to tackle without adding insurance companies and hospitals to the mix.