Statistics show that there is a one in eight chance of women developing breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.
It is the second most common cancer among women in the United States.
Despite it being more prominent with women, it affects men too.
An estimated 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the coming years, according to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Yet there is a low awareness among men for early detection of this health crisis.
CCSU’s Maternal Health Advocacy Club (MHAC) hosted an event at the Student Center, educating and raising awareness for students, for signs to look for a potential case of breast cancer.
Before the event, MHAC President Vanessa Paddy said, “This year, one of our big goals is really to expand a lot of our advocacy and education to the campus as a whole,” she added that last year they aimed to expand awareness to women in general. “Like with the breast cancer education table, it’s not just pregnant women, it’s any woman. So that’s kind of our primary focus,” she said.
Paddy spoke about what she has learned in her role.
“I think seeing the difference in the level of health education that students are getting in high school right now, and then coming into college, is honestly kind of alarming,” she said.
Paddy said efforts should be focused on increasing awareness within the student body.
“So, the sooner we can start making people aware of how to know their own body, the things that are changing, the better,” she said.
Last year, MHAC set up an informal table in the health clinic at Copernicus Hall; Paddy said her goals are now to continue their efforts to make information on breast cancer accessible to the public.
Hanna Little, marketing director of the MHAC and human biology major, emphasized the importance of maternal health.
“Maternal health is really, really important,” she said. “People just don’t pay attention to their bodies, especially us teens and young adults. We tend to just avoid things until they become a problem.”
Little wanted this event, and the Maternal Health Advocacy Club, to be welcoming to anyone they can help support.
“This club is good to just show everybody that we’re a big community and we’re all here to help each other and all of us women need to stick together,” Little said.
MHAC got to test students’ knowledge on breast cancer and maternal health with a trivia game during a tabling event on campus. There, students who answered questions correctly received a sticker, and those who got them wrong got the opportunity to learn more about the issue.
Nursing major Kayanna Reece participated in this game and learned that 85% of breast cancer occurs in people with no family history. Reece said MHAC has significance as a place students can go to be informed in a more comfortable setting.
Reece enjoyed the educational aspect of the event as well, and particularly that the club was handing out informative cards on how to self-screen for the signs of breast cancer.
“I personally didn’t know how to check if I have breast cancer or how to check myself, and I was taught that at the table today,” she said. “I think it’s important for other girls to know how to do that.”
Social services major Anil Deonarine said he was aware of the impact of breast cancer but came to the table to learn its potential effects for men.
“I have a family that are recent breast cancer survivors,” he said. “I’ve always wondered how it would be for men. It’s so uncommon, and I wanted to know would it be affecting any other generations before me?”
Deonarine has another reason for why he thinks awareness among young men is important too.
“We should be able to learn about women’s health, because in the future, if you’re in a relationship with somebody who is going through cancer or someone in your family is going through cancer, it’s good to help them know the symptoms early.”
