If you missed it, this New York Times piece by Peggy Orenstein about the cultural Pinking of breast cancer is well worth a read. It lays out some things that desperately needed to be said--very straightforwardly--about the bizarre sexualization and commodification of breast cancer awareness, and how harsh it ultimately is to those who suffer from the disease. I was really glad to see this piece.A few days before that article was published, the Teenage Cancer Trust released research listing the top 20 cancer myths believed by teenagers and young adults in the UK. They are all doozies, but note the following examples (numbers are percentages of young people who believe the myth):
- Mobile phones cause brain tumors - 36%
- The color of your skin determines your cancer risks - 22%
- If you have cancer when pregnant, your baby will get it - 19%
- Keeping a mobile phone in your bra gives you breast cancer - 15%
- Being fat gives you cancer - 7%
