Can We Be Breast Friends Forever? The Stigma And Shame Around Breasts Needs To Go
The sexualisation of women's bodies has contributed to breasts being considered objects of desire, rather than just another part of the human anatomy.
Picture this.
You are walking past a booth in your favourite mall and someone from a reputable non-governmental organisation offers you a health service for free.
Would you:
a) Stop to learn a little more about what they are doing
b) Politely say no and keep moving
c) Drop your gaze and quicken your pace because "WHY WOULD THEY WRITE THE WORD 'BREAST' SO BIG ON THEIR BUNTING?"
In my experience of working with Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia (BCWA Malaysia), the majority of people who walk past our booth favour the last option, which is such a shame because what we offer are potentially life-saving services.
Both men and women being taught how to check breasts for abnormalities.
Image via BCWA Malaysia (Provided to SAYS)
These services include teaching you how to do a Breast Self-Examination (BSE) and performing Clinical Breast Examinations (CBE) for free
BSE consists of a series of steps that you should do every single month to check your own breasts for sudden changes. We even provide you with a handy leaflet that outlines the steps in clear, easy to follow diagrams so that you are always assured of accurately performing the steps on your own.
CBE is a manual check by a trained healthcare professional; a BCWA Malaysia nurse with decades of experience will examine your breasts for any abnormalities that could potentially be a sign or symptom of breast cancer.
BCWA Malaysia often travels around the country with their inflatable mobile clinics to perform CBEs for free.
Image via BCWA Malaysia (Provided to SAYS)
If they do find something that raises their suspicion, appropriate advice is shared on how to move on to the next step of screening. If they don't find anything, they will send you on your way with a reminder to perform your BSE on a monthly basis and to repeat your CBE every year.
If you are 40 years old and above, we will ask if you have done your first annual mammogram, which is an X-ray of your breasts. Because this diagnostic exam can be expensive, we have resources for free mammograms that we are happy to share with you if you do not know where to get one done.
Unfortunately, even when we take the time to explain this, the responses we get most often are "eee segan", "aiyo, shy-lah", or "tee-hee malu".
So, let's talk about shame, then.
What is shameful about examining our own breasts or having a nurse examine them?
If you developed a strange swelling on your ankle, or noticed veins suddenly bulging out of your forehead or found a rash across your arm, you would go to a healthcare professional to get it looked at.
But those same symptoms, when found on breasts, elicit a very different reaction.
Alternatively, BCWA Malaysia also provides free CBEs in their MURNI Mobile Clinics.
Image via BCWA Malaysia (Provided to SAYS)
Cultural and societal norms about breasts mean that girls, in particular, are conditioned to believe that breasts are shameful. The sexualisation of women's bodies has also contributed to breasts being considered objects of desire, rather than just another part of the human anatomy.
And so when a young adult woman is advised by a BCWA Malaysia nurse at a community outreach event in a university, health carnival, or village hall, that she should be checking her own breasts once a month, all she can think of is shame.
She does not want to touch her own breasts, even if it means that it could provide her valuable information about her own health. And she certainly does not want a healthcare professional, even if they are a registered nurse, to be touching her breasts either.
So, where do we go from here?
BCWA Malaysia often has booths at malls throughout Malaysia to teach women how to perform a BSE.
Image via BCWA Malaysia (Provided to SAYS)
Despite breast cancer being the most common cancer in Malaysia, we have a long way to go when it comes to breast health awareness.
In 2023, BCWA Malaysia was at over 250 community outreach events where we performed over 7,000 CBEs. 315 women were found to have suspicious findings and were counselled on how to take next steps to confirm their diagnosis.
This year, we ask that you get to know your own breasts. We can teach you how to do this in a safe space where you can ask questions and understand your body a little better.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on our next community outreach event.
And if you see us at your favourite mall, please do stop to say hello, so that you too can learn how to be Breast Friends Forever.
This story is a personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the position of SAYS.
You too can submit a story as a SAYS reader by emailing us at stories@says.com.
Sumitra Selvaraj is a healthcare communications consultant who currently leads Public Relations and Partnerships for Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia, a non-profit NGO that promotes the early detection of breast cancer through community outreach programmes.
Over the last two decades, she has held various roles in public relations, publishing, and broadcasting, including hosting and producing radio and television programmes for Media Prima, Astro, and BFM.
Sumitra goes by @sareesandstories on Instagram where she documents her thoughts on identity, agency, and self-expression.
The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a healthcare professional regarding the reader's own medical care.
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Image via SAYS
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