True Breast Cancer Awareness

As October is coming to an end, I'd like to address something that has been bothering me and weighing on my heart and mind for quite a while now.

This doesn't pertain to hair, but it it pertains to women, and since this is my audience, I feel compelled to start this very important conversation.

The views I am about to express, will most certainly be perceived as controversial, and please, if you disagree with me, comment and we'll get a little debate going.  That's what blogs are for.

As we are well aware, October is breast cancer awareness month.  It's hard to overlook this.  Pink ribbons are everywhere.  All kinds of companies and businesses are giving their products a new twist and getting in on the marketing of "thinking pink."  

Last Saturday at the Virginia Tech vs. Boston College game, many of the players, along with the Hokie bird were wearing pink.  I think we can agree, it is extremely touching to see these big, burly men wearing pink, in support of something that affects women.  This is a wonderful cause that makes women feel loved...

But what exactly is "breast cancer awareness" all about?  What are we being made aware of?  That breast cancer exists?  I've never understood the message here.  The hooplah could serve as a reminder to women to get mammograms; but the correct term, I believe, would be "breast cancer support."  The ribbons, pink colors and uplifting messages are expressing support, and that's about it.  Every October, the breast cancer issue is highlighted front and center, and yet year after year, at the end of the month, women are no more aware of the true causes of breast cancer than they were the year before.

There is an alarming disconnect between the medical community and the rest of society.

Allow me to explain.

When I was working in Kentucky last year as a feature reporter, I covered the monthly health section.  I wrote story after story about breast cancer.  The whole community held numerous events in the month of October.  I had the opportunity to interview many survivors, medical professionals and those involved with support groups.  My stories involved a lot of research and statistics.  

I stumbled upon some startling information and noticed some disturbing patterns that I want to share. 

Here is my controversial opinion: No woman under any circumstances, should be on birth control.  By birth control, I am including not only pills, but also implants, shots, internal devices or any other product that interferes with a woman's natural cycle.

For that matter, no woman should be on fertility drugs, hormone replacement therapy, or any other medication that involves altering existing hormones or introducing synthetic hormones within the body.  Synthetic hormones have time and time again been linked to not only breast cancer, but also cervical and uterine cancer as well.

Doctors, pharmacists and other medical representatives will say this is only a matter of debate.  They'll say "links" are not proof and that correlations do not always show "cause," but come on... If all women gave up birth control, hormone replacement and fertility drugs, the medical and pharmaceutical industries would take an enormous hit.  These industries tremendously depend on women to consume these products.

This isn't a conspiracy theory, and it probably won't be a surprise to many of you reading this.  You've probably heard these theories before.  Just Google "birth control cancer" and you'll see an overwhelming amount of reading material on the subject.

Like I said, I've spoken with many female cancer survivors as a reporter and as the public relations representative for the Pike County Relay for Life Committee.  Sometimes, for curiosity's sake, I would casually ask them if they had ever been on birth control.  Most of the time, the answer was yes.  Another pattern I noticed was that many of these survivors were post-menopausal women who discovered a lump shortly after undergoing hormone replacement theory.  Go figure.

Whether you believe these drugs are the main culprit or not, the nature vs. medical intervention conundrum is common sense.  

Nature has a very specific design for women's bodies.  We begin ovulating when we reach sexual maturity.  Our monthly cycles follow a specific pattern, causing rises and decreases of estrogen and progesterone.  The period sheds the uterine lining, and we begin the cycle over.  When the fertile phase of our lives come to an end, we undergo menopause.  These hormones become depleted, our periods end and so does the chance for pregnancy.  This is nature taking its course.  This was always the plan.

When you rebel against nature, nature will rebel back against you.  When you introduce synthetic or non-authentic hormones into a body that was created to produce natural hormones; and when you interfere or prevent the natural hormones from being produced, there is a very great chance that the system of the body will malfunction.  It's as simple as that.

Whenever I hear a friend or acquaintance mention that they are on birth control, I try to convince them to get off of it.  This has made for some uncomfortable conversations, but if those women ended up getting a form of female cancer down the road, I would really regret not saying anything.  Do they listen?  Usually, no.  But at least I know I put it out there. 

I'll give the medical industry one thing.  They've really done a great job of scaring women to death into thinking birth control pills are the only way to prevent pregnancy.  It isn't.  There are plenty of other safe methods that are much less invasive and damaging.  Avoiding pregnancy is simple.  Step 1:  Know when you're ovulating (this method won't work if you don't).  Step 2:  Don't have unprotected sex when you're ovulating.  No hormonal interventions or alterations necessary.  (For very important cautionary advice about how to correctly use the fertility awareness method, please see comment 5 below this post.)

Birth control is also glamorized for being such a big part of women's liberation....Really?  I know connecting the pill to women's lib is great for pharmaceutical marketing, but how have women become convinced that this is so liberating?  If anything, it's completely counterintuitive.  Not only does birth control increase the risk of cancer; it also prevents or alters ovulation and blocks a woman's natural pheromones.  How can removing the primary aspect of femininity be liberating?  It changes nature's laws of attraction in terms of procreation.  It is stripping a woman of what makes her uniquely her.  

Other excuses I hear, aside from preventing pregnancy are, "Birth control helps with my acne" or "I have really painful periods if I'm not on birth control."  

Acne is unsightly. We all want to get rid of it.  But altering your body's natural hormones is extreme.  There are some excellent makeup brands out there.  I've had luck with Revlon Photo Ready Foundation.  Just match it to your skin tone, and you can cover flaws amazingly.  

As for cramps, yes, it's no fun to be in pain.  That's why we have Midol.  ThermaCare Heat wraps are also effective during particularly intense cramping.  Stopping periods altogether with birth control, or limiting them to only a few times a year?  While that may sound tempting, there is a reason you have a monthly period.  There is also a reason why later in life, periods stop and these hormones dry up.  It's simply not a good idea to disrupt a healthy functioning body, even though that body may inconvenience you.  Perhaps we as women should change the way we think about these processes.  Instead of interfering with it, take it as a reminder that your body is functioning the way it should, right on schedule, and be thankful for your health.

As a side note, I know many women are on birth control because their husbands/boyfriends want them to be.  But if your significant other is pressuring you to be on birth control even after you have explained the harmful side-effects, is this really a healthy, loving relationship?   When it comes to your life, you have to be an advocate for your own health.  Sometimes nobody else will be.

And while I'm on this topic, I'm just going to go ahead and mention some of the other harmful side-effect possibilities of birth control and other hormone-altering drugs: blood clots, which could travel to major organs or possibly cause a stroke, mood swings, migraines, anxiety, weight gain, heart disease, risk of miscarriage and even in rare cases, infertility.  Some women discover upon discontinuing birth control and trying to get pregnant, that their body can no longer go through the natural process of conception and pregnancy, due to complications resulting from years of hormone alterations. 

Let's spread awareness to all of the women we love and adore!  I would love for breast cancer awareness month to include anti-birth control rallies.  I would love to see pink events with booths set up, offering pamphlets on alternatives to these dangerous hormone-altering meds.  If we're going to call the month of October "breast cancer awareness" let's seriously make women aware and reduce this illness, which in many ways, is preventable.  (While we're at it, let's discourage the men in our lives from even considering this male birth control pill that's in the works.  This will inevitably lead to male health issues as well.)

I can only hope and pray that Breast Cancer Awareness month of 2012 includes much more actual awareness. 

Ignorance abounds, but all we have to do is spread the word and convince other women to educate themselves on female issues and embrace the natural plan set up for us.

Trae, supporting the cause at the game

Notice the pink arm bands and socks!

Three cheers for Breast Cancer Awareness!