Opinion: The pink ribbon of breast cancer awareness needs a splash of blue for men
Men get breast cancer, too. The iconic pink ribbon needs a dash of blue to reflect them.
Everyone knows the universal symbol of breast cancer: the pink ribbon. Promoted by the Union for International Cancer Control, it pops up everywhere, from retail shops to government offices, each October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Police departments have pink ribbons on their vehicles to show solidarity; one town near me even has an entirely pink police cruiser. And children as young as my own pre-teen daughters recognize a looped pink ribbon as a symbol of support for breast cancer patients and survivors.
Of course, the color of the ribbon is strongly associated with girls and women, and almost all public health awareness campaigns by government bodies and nonprofit organizations on radio, television, online and in print are targeted toward women. So are fundraising campaigns selling pink-ribbon merchandise to raise funds for breast cancer research. But this creates a false public impression: that women are the only ones who can get breast cancer.
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