Today an article was brought to my attention concerning the new mammogram guidelines. Being that we're all about breast health here, of course I was interested, but what I read I found just a little bit ridiculous and a lot absolutely stupid.
The article, published on the AOL news site, states that
A government task force said Monday that most women don't need mammograms in their 40s and should get one every two years starting at 50 — a stunning reversal and a break with the American Cancer Society's long-standing position. What's more, the panel said breast self-exams do no good, and women shouldn't be taught to do them.
And all this in the interest of reducing stress levels? I guess the government is pushing for a "what you don't know, can't hurt you" plan.
I don't know about everyone else, but I would rather go in to have a biopsy and be told I was ok, than get my first mammogram at 50 and be told the cancer had spread so far there was little to no chance of survival.
And saying that breast self exams are useless? I would love to see the numbers on how many women have had their lives saved because of a BSE...
It seems to me the government is encouraging the population to be ignorant of their own health.
There is no history of breast cancer in my family, but all jokes aside, I love my boobs, and I couldn't imagine having them taken away from me, or having my LIFE taken away from me.
So I say SCREW the government. Early detection saves lives (and boobies), so please do your BSE every month. It could save your life.
Leave us a comment. We'd love to know what you think of this.
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer related death in Australian women. Which leads me to mentioning The Breast Cancer site. Just visit the link and click to give a free mammogram. It's a great program, and I recommend every does it at least once, or every day :) It won't even cost you a thing.
(Article taken from theage.com.au)
