Nearly 75 percent of girls surveyed have someone close to them with breast cancer. No woman is ever too young to start practicing good breast health. For young women, the importance of knowing your “girls” has never been more important.
A book, Taking Care of Your Girls, addresses breast development and breast health for girls. The book is based on more than 2.5 years of research with more than 3,000 girls (ages 8-18) and mothers across the U.S. Some of the research findings include:
• More than 25 percent of girls have perceived a normal change in their breasts to be a symptom of breast cancer
• More than 20 percent of girls think breast cancer is caused in part by infection, tanning, drug use, stress, and breast injury or bruising; however, none of these are risk factors
• Nearly 75 percent of girls have someone close to them who has had breast cancer
• Most girls are worried that someone in their family might get breast cancer
• Few girls know how to reduce their risk of breast cancer
In response to their findings, breast oncologist Dr. Marisa Weiss and her daughter Isabel Friedman, answered some of the most compelling questions girls have about their changing bodies. Some questions answered include "How do I know when I need to get my first bra?" and "Is there a perfect, correct or average breast size?"
Weiss offers medical and motherly advice while Isabel provides a peer-to-peer perspective. Chapters in the book include:
• Breast Development: Hormones, Puffy Nipples, Growing Breasts
• Normal Breast Changes: Lumps, Cysts, Thick Areas, Pain
• Self-Image and Teasing: Standing Up for Yourself and Feeling Your Personal Power
• From Tight Bras to Antiperspirants: Replacing Breast Cancer Fears with Facts
• Think Pink, Live Green: A Planet-Friendly Guide for Healthy Breasts
The book reveals the real risks and actionable steps girls can take to reduce their risk of getting breast cancer.
Also, Taking Care of Your Girls is a comprehensive and supportive breast health guide which offers teens a safe place to find the answers they need, but may be too embarrassed or scared to ask in person. It also offers a source of essential, dependable information to help them answer the questions their girls are sure to come to them with.
“Breastcancer.org is pioneering this effort through a series of initiatives aimed at girls in particular,” said Weiss. “We want to reach young women at that critical age when they have so many questions and yet are bombarded with excess, irrelevant, or incorrect information.
For a link to Breastcancer.org’s video about their outreach to girls, please visit: www.girlsprevention.breastcancer.org.
Sources:
www.breastcancer.org
www.TakingCareofYourGirls.com