Beyond Pink Ribbons: How Can You Make a Difference for Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

There is no shortage of pink, branded products to buy during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can get anything from a pink umbrella to pink bagels, but many of us really want to understand where our dollars are going and whether it really helps before making such a purchase. 

The National Breast Cancer Foundation reports that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Some of the many things they work on, then, are providing Breast Health Guides and free mammograms via a nationwide hospital network. 

The good news is that efforts such as these appear to be working. The American Cancer Society said a woman's risk of dying of breast cancer dropped 38% in the past 30 years...but there is a huge racial disparity associated with this statistic. African American women are nearly twice as likely to die of breast cancer than white women. We are encouraged to read about research initiatives aimed to reduce that disparity, being conducted by the CDC and supported by the American Breast Cancer Foundation. 

The group Breast Cancer Action explains how these health disparities are a social justice issue. They have created a page called Think Before You Pink that has great questions to ask before you participate in an event for breast cancer awareness or purchase a pink product for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can register for their toolkit to learn more about spending your dollars thoughtfully this month to support research and healthcare that makes a difference.