Every year hundreds of thousands new cases of breast cancer occur in the United States alone, with approximately 250,000 of them being invasive forms of breast cancer, and an additional 2,600 cases being found in men.
The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, with it, comes the arrival of the somewhat controversial holiday known as National No Bra Day. The Oct. 13 holiday is pretty self-explanatory (go bra-less for a day) and was created to encourage women (and men) to get screened for breast cancer.
1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lives and have to battle a disease that can, at worst, be lethal. But outside of just its lethality, it also has the possibility of impacting a woman’s view of herself, her ability to breastfeed, and can result in surgeries that include mastectomies. Breasts are of the primary identifiers of what makes a woman, visually, a woman, and having to have them removed in the fight against breast cancer can lead to self-image issues and depression.
Women who have been through a battle with breast cancer often have to wear a prosthesis to hide the fact that they’ve had a breast or breasts removed, and are unable to go without a bra as a result. By spending the day without a bra you can raise awareness and help to prevent other women from having to go through this experience.
Celebrating No Bra Day is as simple as not wearing a bra, but if you’re in the mood to do more for yourself and others, then there are a number of important options. First off, get yourself to your doctor and schedule a breast exam, catching breast cancer early isn’t difficult, and if you do so you’ll be have a greater chance of coming out of it without so much as a scar. Encourage your friends to do the same, and maybe even take some time to work together to create a fundraiser or support a local agency that’s holding one.
Breast Cancer Facts:
- The average woman in the U.S. wears a size 40 D bra, according to Everyday Health.
- “Brassiere” was first used in 1907 in Vogue Magazine, Useless Daily reported.
- Around 85 percent of women wear the wrong bra size, according to Kate Middleton’s royal bra fitter, wrote The Independent.
- Warner’s was the first known brand to introduce traditional cup sizing in 1935, according to Bosom Galore.
- When cup sizes were introduced, there were only four cup sizes available.
- In the early 1990s, bras were referred to as “bust bodices” or “BBs.”
Sources:
International Business Times (IBTimes)
