Every year, the 1st of October marks the beginning of arguably the most prominent cancer-centred campaigns to span the globe. Initially started in 1985 as a means to promote mammography as the star-tool for the early detection of the disease, the movement has evolved into so much more than that. Like many advocacies, it has ebbed and flowed with the sands of time and now represents a much larger community, free from the confines of gender, race and disease. 

A common misconception that many use to critique the movement is that BCAM is exclusive to just women. While this movement started with women as the main audience in mind, it in no way shape or form is exclusive to just one gender. For approximately every 200,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer, 2,000 men will be, too. Unfortunately, statistics show that due to social stigma associated with male breast cancer stemming from the systematic toxic masculinity mindset woven through our society, coupled with the lack of education on male breast cancer, men are often misdiagnosed which consequently leads to more advanced forms of the cancer once finally detected. Which is where BCAM shatters the glass ceiling on this issue- it strives for the proper education of Breast Cancer and how it manifests in victims regardless of gender. It seeks for the betterment of detection resources for men and women, and constantly fights the stigma associated with it.

Perhaps the most polarising argument surrounding this topic is that it paints breast cancer as the the only cancer of importance. But this cannot be farther from the truth. While I can write an entire argumentative essay rebutting this stance, I would much rather explain it through my own personal experience with cancer and cancer awareness.

As someone who has had to watch their mother go through cancer diagnosis and treatment twice, I can say with certainty that it is a type of pain I would not wish on anyone, not even my enemies. And while my mother was not diagnosed with breast cancer, every year she uses the pink ribbon- the symbol for the breast cancer awareness movement- to proudly say that she is a survivor of a disease that can affect any and every part of the human body. Through this movement, she was able to be liberated from whatever shame she felt as a cancer patient and survivor even if it was not a cause for her specific type of cancer. It empowered her, to say the least.

All this to say: the BCA movement unites, it does not divide.

There are a myriad of valid criticisms regarding this movement- namely the commercialisation, feminisation, and trivialisation that large corporations and organisations use to capitalise off of its innate importance. But once you take away the human variables that cause it to be such a polarising topic, you’re left with a motion that empowers everyone to take control of their health and, ultimately, lives.

Cancer awareness is personal to me, and it should be personal to you, too. Prevention is always better than treatment, so keep your health in check and take the necessary measures in your life to prevent it as much as you can. But we must also not dismiss the importance of knowing our own bodies like we know the lyrics to Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass. Take the time to get to know what is normal for your body, and do what you have to do to spot the anomalies. There are tons of infographics on the internet and tutorials about how and what to look for and be cautious of, so take the initiative to follow them. And make sure that you initiate open discussions with the members of your household, as breaking the stigma and awkwardness surrounding intimate issues is what truly transforms the taboo into tools of empowerment.