Tuesday, November 3, 2009

News Segment On Self Breast Exams Featuring Bare Boobs. . . Necessary Or Not??

I have no doubt that doing self exams helps to save lives.  I was 31 years old when I found a lump in my breast that turned out to be cancer.  Although I was never vigilant about doing self exams I found the lump while in the shower one morning doing what I named the "poke around".  I was soaping myself up and was just being lazy I guess not using the proper clinical techniques but I found it nonetheless.  I think I first learned how to do the exam via an article in a women's magazine.  There were written instructions and diagrams.  Then when I began going to the gynecologist in my early twenties I was instructed in the proper techniques.  I believe there is enough information out there that putting a commercial segment on TV showing a woman doing a breast exam nude is just not necessary.  

A recent article on CBS News.com discusses this issue about an ABC affiliate station in D.C. that aired a segment showing a woman doing a self breast exam and did not blur out the boobs. Check out the video here.   It also noted in the article that the station was airing the segments during fall sweeps week.  I found that interesting and couldn't help but wonder as many others whether the station is airing the segments for shock value to enhance ratings.  Of course they say that is not true.  What they do say is that the motivation behind the segment stemmed from learning through research that the majority of women don't know how to do these exams.  But I personally question that as there are so many other ways for women to gain knowledge about doing self exams without showing a young woman's bare boobs during the 5 o'clock news.

Have you heard about this segment?  What do you think?  Do you wonder if it is a ratings stunt?  When did you first learn how to do your breast self exams?

No comments: