title: Breast cancer messaging for younger women: gender, femininity, and risk.
abstract: Evidence linking both active smoking and secondhand smoke exposure to premenopausal breast cancer makes the development of health messages specific to younger women a pressing priority. To determine how to communicate information about this modifiable breast cancer risk to young women, we analyzed a selection of 32 recent English-language breast cancer messages and campaigns that targeted young women. In addition, we obtained young women's responses to three breast cancer campaign images during focus group discussions. A visual analysis of messages points to an explicitly gendered discourse within contemporary campaigns, one that entails conflicting messages regarding breast cancer, health, feminine beauty, and risk. Although the intent might be to educate and empower young women to "fight" against breast cancer, paradoxically, the messages employ imagery that sexually objectifies young women's breasts and bodies. Recommendations are made for messaging about tobacco and breast cancer risk to avoid reproducing one-dimensional or stereotypical presentations of gender and femininity.
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. rebecca.haines@nursing.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Joan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bottorff
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barclay McKeown
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ptolemy
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Kelli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001364:Awareness; D001504:Beauty; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D019529:Sexuality; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution