Download Women`s Health and Well Being

Beauty & Well-Being
The Politics of Breast Cancer
Everyday Toxic Products
• 75,000 synthetic chemicals used commercially
– Toxicity known or not established
• Animal testing inhumane and inadequate
– Single chemical dosage
– No testing of environment
• Toxic Substances Control Act
– “innocent until proven guilty”
– “confidential business information”
– Weak enforcement and overwhelmed administration
Body Burden
Total amount of toxic chemicals present in human
body at a given point in time
• Chemicals
– Are found in our air & water, food we eat, products we use
– Are bioaccumulative & synergistic
– Include carcinogens, teratogens,
developmental/reproductive toxicants, endocrine disruptors
– Cause
• cancer, neurological problems, infertility, dysfunctional immune
systems in adults
• Developmental disabilities, genital malformation, and cognitive &
behavior problems in children
Breast Cancer
Inequalities in Prevention,
Diagnosis & Treatment
Causes of Breast Cancer
Causes
Environment
• Ionizing Radiation
Associated Risks
Environment
• Pollutants
– Xenoestrogen
• “Discretionary” pollutants
– Smoking
– Alcohol
– High fat Diet
Genes
• Inherited Genetic Defects
Genes
• Race
• Family History
Known and probable risk factors
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being a woman
getting older
having a personal history of ovarian cancer
having a family history of breast cancer
having your first period before age 12
starting menopause after age 55
never having children
having your first child after age 30
Moving to or residing in the United States
Exposure to pesticides, detergents, plastics, petrochemicals, bleach
drinking more than 1 alcoholic drink per day
being overweight after menopause or gaining weight as an adult.
currently or recently using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 5 years
or longer
Woman’s Chances of Breast
Cancer Increases With Age
By age 30
By age 40
By age 50
By age 60
By age 70
By age 80
Ever
1 out of 2,212
1 out of 235
1 out of 54
1 out of 23
1 out of 14
1 out of 10
1 out of 8
Systems of Inequality & Privilege
in Breast Cancer
• Racial differences in
– Incidence
– Treatment Protocol
• A new study suggests Puerto Rican women are 50% more likely to receive
substandard care for breast cancer.
– Mortality & Survival
• In one county in West Virginia breast cancer is less common than the national
average, yet breast cancer deaths in that county are more than 79% higher than the
US rate.
• Sexual Orientation
– No children
• Menstrual cycles
• Breast feeding
– Alcohol use
– Obesity
• Race, Clas & Sexual Orientation & Access to Health Insurance & Care
Percent of American Women Who Have Had a
Mammogram Within Past 2 Years
All Women Over 40
White, Non-Hispanic Women Over 40
Black, Non-Hispanic Women Over 40
Hispanic Women Over 40
Women Over 40 Below Poverty Level
Women Over 40 Above Poverty Level
66.9%
68%
66%
60.2%
50.5%
69.3%
Treatment vs. Prevention
• Treatment options—surgery, radiation,
chemotherapy—have not changed
substantially since 1970s
• Mammography is diagnosis, not
prevention
– Mammography gives false negatives 20-40%
of the time
• Environment—one of biggest predictors—
is completely alterable
Women’s Response
to Breast Cancer
• Caretaker needs care
• Breast loss  beauty & body image
• Physical changes
– Surgery
– Chemotherapy
• Response from others