It’s October which means birthday cake for my Mister and celebrating our wedding anniversary (21 years) but it also means the month I had a mastectomy a few years ago and it’s ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’ month…go on, groan. There’s lots of negative talk about ‘pink fatigue’ and ‘the sea of pink’ or being ‘pinkified‘. I hate those terms, they trivialise the lives lost and changed forever to breast cancer.
When media speak of ‘Pink Fatigue’ they are talking about pink product overload. Products like pink packets of pasta, hair straighteners, pasta sauce, coffee, gardening gloves…what the hell do all of these items have to do with breast cancer right? Truthfully not much.
Do they trivialise the cause of raising funding for breast cancer? Sadly I think they do.
Online games like going ‘makeup free’ or letting your boobs go free seem to trivialise breast cancer too…it’s not a game.
Did you know that 6000 Australian women will endure a mastectomy this year? I bet they wish they could let their girls hang free.
I had breast cancer, still have treatment and cancer took my breasts and yet I receive negative feedback from the public about breast cancer receiving ‘too much press’. Wanna get me fired up?…just say that to me and I’ll rant away.
Breast cancer receives awareness because women and their families speak up. They walk in fundraisers even though they are ill, they hold fundraisers, write about it, do media and put themselves out there. Many voices raise awareness and make change.
Twenty years ago a quarter of all Aussie women diagnosed with breast cancer were dead within five years. Dead!
This year in Australia 15600 women and 145 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Between 1994 (when I was pregnant with my first son) and 2011 (the year before I was diagnosed) the breast cancer mortality rate fell by 30%. This means that in under 20 years lives were saved and less Aussies died from this insidious cancer.
Nobody waved a magic wand. Lives were saved because research was done. Research was done because funds were raised AND women spoke up. Researchers, governments and doctors learn plenty from listening to women talk, listening to our fears, side effects, anger, joy, sadness and more.
Research into breast cancer doesn’t just help breast cancer patients…its not exclusive, research helps ALL cancers.
But is ALL the pink in October going to research? Apparently not, some is for ‘awareness’. Look, I’m all for awareness but I’m really for ‘education’ because early detection is vital to saving lives. I also want more transparency in exactly how much money from your purchase is being given back to the breast Cancer organisations.
So then why aren’t all the products and brands who are allowed to slap pink on the packaging being clearer on exactly where the money goes and being more transparent?
Why aren’t they creating more educational campaigns?
Sure, some do but many don’t so let’s get real. If you want to flog your product by slapping a pink breast cancer logo on it then for goodness sake create some positive change through education while also donating back a specified portion of profit.
I would also like to see that the pink products have some connection with women, tissue packets, sex toys, lollies…have nothing to do with cancer. Strong women, dead women, scarred women…that’s cancer.
Families forever changed, men diagnosed with a disease set up for women…that’s shitty cancer. It’s tough, raw, sad, scary, lonely. It’s also empowering, but it’s not gumboots, mops, ped eggs or kitchen blenders. We can do better than that!
I think we need to keep products and fundraising relevant, please don’t become pink fatigued. We need research, education and support to continue, the backlash is already in progress and breast cancer patients and thrivers don’t deserve that.
Annette says
October 5, 2015 at 12:44 pmWell said Jen. I think all the pink does trivialise a serious issue. Those numbers you’ve quoted here are so frightening. I don’t think people realise how many women (& men) are impacted each year.
Brands try and buy out business by appearing charitable, but often the donations are a tiny drop of their profit margins.
Your story does more for the cause than any pink product ever could.
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 3:29 pmI think some pink is relevant but over saturating the market is dangerous. There’s been so much good work done that we need to continue.
Karen says
October 5, 2015 at 1:29 pmThank you so much for sharing your thoughts, but particularly for including men and the role that they too have in breast cancer. Whilst I’m relatively new to your blog (which I love!) I become so frustrated with the lack of awareness of men with breast cancer too, and the dominance of all the ‘pink’ which thus seems to signify a woman only issue. All of the males in my husband’s family carry the BRCA 1 gene, not the females, which has brought home to us the importance of it being both a male and female issue. Keep on inspiring and sharing Jen!
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 3:48 pmI think we can definitely do more to raise the profile for men, I think we need to remember that for a very long time breast cancer was not spoken about. It’s taken decades for the profile to be front and centre and I’m sure the male profile will be more public and more accepted in the very near future.
Paula says
October 5, 2015 at 1:55 pmWell said Hun x
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 3:28 pmThanks x
Kirrily says
October 5, 2015 at 2:19 pmSo well said Jen. Thank you from everyone touched already and that will be touched by cancer for everything that you do to raise awareness x
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 3:28 pmI know you’ve seen and felt your fair share, Thanks Kirrily X
SHaryn says
October 5, 2015 at 2:50 pmWell written.
Eyes welling up ?
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 3:27 pmOh sorry x
Barbe says
October 5, 2015 at 3:11 pmi would like firstly to say Jen and I are friends. We are also bound together with both having had double mastectomies and reconstructions but we are both individual women and we do not see eye to eye on certain things. And we both respect each other views. However. I felt I had to speak up over this post.
You are right in every way Jen: Research has halved the mortality rate. Research is finding treatments for high risk cancers like Triple Negative (me second time! Wish they hurry up!) and HER2 type breast cancers. (me first time!)
I believe there is a place for “Pink Products” but rather than willy nilly just buying anything without knowing where your dollar goes, have a good look at the label. A part of the profits of Pink Products that go to the NBCF, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, go directly to the foundation. NBCF spends 80 cents of every dollar raised on Australian based research.
To be able to put that logo on a product, they go through a complicated process and a promise of a donation. NBCF does NOT get any government funding, but totally relies on community fundraising and corporate fundraising. The pink products are a HUGE part of funds going to research and I encourage my friends, family and readers to buy NBCF labelled pink products. It is not only a marketing ploy but a genuine fundraising mission and a way for companies to get involved in finding cures. Linked to research for breast cancer are other cancers as well. How good would it be if they happen to stumble on a treatment that works for prostrate, bowel and other women’s cancers as well?
As far as awareness goes, Pink products have started people talking about breast cancer in men and women. And if 50 cents go to NBCF because I buy a pink tomato sauce rather than a red bottle? Why the hell not?
Breast cancer is not pretty and pink, I agree. But it gets people taking!
Buy the pink products rather than your usual products but check out the label.
xox
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 3:26 pmGreat points Barbe, there are definitely relevant products and actual ‘true’ fundraising going on that’s getting to organisations that do incredible work.
I get upset about the negativity in the press related to how much coverage breast cancer receives. It then trickles on down to patients, remarks about breast cancer being greedy and not sharing the fundraising dollar…it’s unfair, I’ve even seen advertising campaigns where one cancer organisations has had a dig at breast cancer…appalling.
I think we all need to be educated about where the money is going before buying something pink, look for the organisations logo and fine print. Make sure your dollars matter.
Darlene says
October 5, 2015 at 4:49 pmI’m new to Styling Curvy and I can’t get enough of it. I love everything you promote and your positivity about your journey. My aunt is going through breast cancer treatment, she started in February this year and is still undergoing chemotherapy which will be followed by radiation. It’s a long haul for her as I’m sure it is for everyone that suffers from any cancer. (I lost my wonderful dad to long cancer just under 12 months ago). My family and I were appalled that there is no government funding for so many cancer facilities, from research to on the ground breast care nurses. We started a 25 week fundraising challenge for the McGrath Foundation as the nurse that visits my aunt, who lives rurally 80km from the nearest hospital has been awesome. We set out target at $5000 and we have raised over $16,000. I find people are so generous when they know where their donation is going. I always look for products that provide funds to any cancer facility, but you’re so right Jenni I really think some of the businesses lead us to believe they are donating huge amounts when in fact they’re donations are very small. It’s on my bucket list to meet you.
Jenni says
October 5, 2015 at 6:48 pmWow Darlene what an amazing fundraising effort…the McGrath nurses are worth their weight in gold. Sending strength to your Aunt, she’s on the home stretch x
Nickie says
October 10, 2015 at 11:21 pmHi Gorgeous Lady…i stumbled upon your instagram account and hallelujah….it’s late on a Saturday night and im having another sleepless night as i go over in my head the outcome of next weeks Oncologist appointments…newly diagnosed and one week post breast op steamrolling along an unfamiliar path…..your words and pictures bought me tears of joy and strength through wisdom….looking forward to now following you while im on my journey to the other side xox
Jenni says
October 11, 2015 at 9:53 amNickie, I remember those sleepless nights well. You’re now in that medical vortex which while its unfamiliar and at times awful, is also the best place for you. Wishing you a speedy and successful outcome. xxx