October is filled with some pretty scary stuff, but hearing that a loved one has breast cancer shouldn’t be one of those things.
It’s a cancer that one out of every eight women will be faced with, but college women often have a difficult time understanding the emotional tolls of the disease even when their moms, sisters and aunts are diagnosed.
We live in a country that glorifies celebrities and hangs on their every word, so why not put that to good use? High-power celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Christina Applegate, Giuliana Rancic and Sheryl Crow have all been open about talking about their experiences with the disease.
These celebs are no braver or stronger than any other woman who has dealt with breast cancer, but they do have a bigger platform.
Jolie in particular raised a lot of awareness surrounding the BRCA genetic mutation (the “breast cancer gene”) by having a double mastectomy before she was even diagnosed with breast cancer. After her announcement, the number of women asking for genetic testing doubled.
Women can now feel empowered to take their health into their own hands and still feel as glamorous and beautiful as an A-list star.
The 24-hour news cycle we live in can make it tough to sift through all the stories and decide which causes truly matter to you. But if you see your favorite actor or musician tweeting or blogging about donating to cancer research, advocating for animals or protecting the environment, maybe you’ll become interested too.
The main focus of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is educating women about the importance of tests, self-checking and early detection. The more people talk about it, the more lives can be saved.
