{"id":332,"date":"2014-10-16T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2014-10-16T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/feminist\/?p=332"},"modified":"2014-10-16T13:50:43","modified_gmt":"2014-10-16T13:50:43","slug":"reflecting-on-breast-cancer-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/feminist\/2014\/10\/16\/reflecting-on-breast-cancer-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflecting on Breast Cancer Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"

The bulk of my work, but especially in and around the month of October, is concentrated on breast cancer. “Awareness.” Culture. Industry. Advocacy. Mass Media. Scientific Controversies. Sound bites.\u00a0Misinformation. Profiteering. Marketing pitches. Parades of pink. People in the middle try to set the record straight, often while dealing with realities of a disease that are never truly addressed in a comprehensive way.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Funeral directors wear pink jackets<\/a> to honor “those who have battled breast cancer.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cancer Center chastises women <\/a>to persuade them to get mammograms, despite overwhelming evidence that screening mammography benefits fewer and harms more women than previously believed<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Plastic Surgeons sell breast augmentation surgeries; objectify breasts; donate to “research.” As a massive consumer market<\/a>, the number of plastic surgery procedures increases 5 percent every year.
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Photo by Jody Schoger<\/p>\n

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Largest breast cancer charity partners with one of the world\u2019s largest oilfield service companies.<\/a> Awareness in a pink drill bit; carcinogens in fracking chemicals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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As I reflect on this ilk masquerading as something useful, I find myself deeply troubled.<\/p>\n

There are so many well-intentioned people trying to make progress and a difference in the lives of those diagnosed with, and at risk for, breast cancer. How do they do it amid the refuse? How do they separate the wheat from chaff? How does anyone?<\/p>\n

I recently wrote in an op-ed for the Chronicle of Philanthropy<\/a> — 3 questions missing most \u201cawareness\u201d campaigns—<\/strong><\/em> that need to BE answered, to try to address this.<\/p>\n