A recent campaign asks when was the last “friendly reminder” one received from a friend about “feeling your boobies”? “Feel Your Boobies” is a reminder campaign for all women to feel their breasts for lumps. This campaign developed after Leigh Hurst discovered a lump in her breast simply by “feeling her boobies” as opposed to performing a self-breast exam. Hurst felt a lump that went undetected by her doctors. At the age of 33, Hurst was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her cancer was stage one, an early stage of breast cancer.
Hurst said that she had no family history of breast cancer and therefore did not believe she was at risk for breast cancer. After finding a lump in her breast, she encouraged and reminded friends to “feel their boobies” as well.
While some women would find this message offensive, Hurst believes this message gets through to young women for them to realize that they are at risk for breast cancer. “Feel Your Boobies” educates women to feel their breasts in unconventional methods and unexpected ways.
According to www.feelyourboobies.com, research shows that “feeling your boobies” is just as effective at identifying changes or lumps as doing a formal self-breast exam.
The website directs women to feel their breasts by pressing firmly, using the pads of their fingers. Women should examine their collarbone and underarm area. The website informs women to look for lumps or thickening, puckering or inflammation and nipple discharge. This website encourages women to feel their breasts any time they want, such as when they are getting dressed or are in the shower.
National “Feel Your Boobies Week” was Oct. 9 – Oct. 16. The campaign encourages women to “feel yours and remind a friend” as posted on the website.
Hurst created t-shirts for friends that had the slogan “Feel Your Boobies.” Hurst did this for fun, as the slogan saved her life. Soon after she created her non-profit organization in 2004, she created a way to promote breast cancer awareness to reach young women.
This organization does not have information on brochures; however the organization does put their name on certain buses or has banners with their logo being towed by an airplane. To make a donation visit the website, www.feelyourboobies.com. Or go online for more information about the website.
Ginger Rae Dunbar is a fourth-year student majoring in English with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at RD655287@wcupa.edu.