I have been following the discussions with interest too. It seemed to me that the choice of wording was insensitive and possibly caused more offence than it needed to. Or was it perhaps stated the way it was precisely to stir up a heated public discussion? For example, it is hard to understand how breast self examinations cause harm (as per the wording) without further explanation and discussion.
One thing I understood from listening from the further explanations which does not seem unreasonable to me is the differentiation between teaching formal breast self examinations (apparently not a cost-effective use of public funds), versus encouraging better body awareness. To me it seems a no-brainer to be in touch with changes to one's own body, and what one of the commentators (a physician) explained was that many women detect their own breast cancer 'naturally', e.g. in the course of taking a shower, rather than while doing a formal monthly breast exam. On the other hand, I don't know how one goes about encouraging better body awareness? Is this something requiring public funding? If formal self-exams are no longer pushed, will women who are prudish about their own bodies be at greater risk of undetected breast cancer, or were they statistical lost causes all along?
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I have been following the discussions with interest too. It seemed to me that the choice of wording was insensitive and possibly caused more offence than it needed to. Or was it perhaps stated the way it was precisely to stir up a heated public discussion? For example, it is hard to understand how breast self examinations cause harm (as per the wording) without further explanation and discussion.
One thing I understood from listening from the further explanations which does not seem unreasonable to me is the differentiation between teaching formal breast self examinations (apparently not a cost-effective use of public funds), versus encouraging better body awareness. To me it seems a no-brainer to be in touch with changes to one's own body, and what one of the commentators (a physician) explained was that many women detect their own breast cancer 'naturally', e.g. in the course of taking a shower, rather than while doing a formal monthly breast exam. On the other hand, I don't know how one goes about encouraging better body awareness? Is this something requiring public funding? If formal self-exams are no longer pushed, will women who are prudish about their own bodies be at greater risk of undetected breast cancer, or were they statistical lost causes all along?
November 24, 2009 - 4:03pmThis Comment
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