Breast Screen SA targets women 50-69 years old in new campaign via Showpony, Adelaide
Showpony, Adelaide has created a new campaign for Breast Screen SA targeting women 50-69 years old.
Research revealed various reasons for women in the target audience choosing not to have a regular breast screen. Many of which were largely individualistic responses, suggesting that while they understood the risks of not having a breast screen, they were limiting the possible consequences of that decision to themselves.
To shift this attitude and provide the audience with an overwhelming motivator for choosing to have a breast screen, Showpony Adelaide explored the nature of family. Typically a woman’s familial connections are at their peak in her 50s, with a high likelihood of parents, a spouse, children and grand children playing a central role in their lives. These relationships are also characterized by a high degree of dependency on the woman herself.
It was through these relationships that the agency was able to demonstrate that the decision not to have a regular breast screen didn’t just affect the individual, but had the potential to affect all those who were near and dear to them. By broadening the understanding of those at ‘risk’ they were also able to turn family members into advocates for breast screening as well.
3 Comments
It would be more helpful if they provided women with complete and accurate information on the risks and actual benefits of breast screening. The Nordic Cochrane Institute, an independent medical research group, no longer recommend it. After reviewing all of the evidence 10 years ago they concluded it offers little benefit and is linked to significant over-diagnosis. It is shameful that neither breast or cervical cancer screening programs here respect informed consent, our legal right…anything goes in the push to achieve govt-set screening targets and justify the huge expense of screening. I have declined to take part in either program, informed decisions.
“The risks and benefits of mammograms” is at the NCI website – I’d urge all women to read this excellent summary of the evidence.
Our cervical screening program is currently under review, LONG overdue, the program is about 10 years out of date and was always excessive. Australian women are some of the most over-screened and over-treated in the world – there is no difference in terms of benefit between 2 and 5 yearly pap tests, the former just produces lots more false positives. Over-treatment can damage the cervix and lead to miscarriages, premature babies, infertility etc
The Dutch and Finns are the ones to watch with evidence based programs – 6-7 pap tests, 5 yearly from age 30 to 60 – the Finns have the lowest rates of cc in the world and the Dutch no more than us, and both countries refer far fewer women for excess biopsies and over-treatment. The Dutch will move again with the evidence and their new program is 5 hrHPV primary triage tests offered at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and only the roughly 5% who are HPV positive will be offered a 5 yearly pap test. There is also a HPV self test option, the Delphi Screener. (also available in Singapore, Malaysia & Italy) Those HPV negative, most women, will be offered the remaining 4 HPV primary tests. Those HPV negative and no longer sexually active or confidently monogamous can forget all further testing. This program will save money and better protect women from cc and false positives/over-treatment – far fewer women will be having unnecessary pap tests and over-treatment (which means fewer premature babies, c-sections etc) and it’s more likely to prevent these rare cancers. It’s smarter testing…
We’re wasting millions screening inefficiently, basically worrying and harming not-at-risk women and missing too many of these cancers. There was never a need to harm so many, now there is no excuse…
http://www.cochrane.org/news/blog/mammography-screening-ten-years-reflections-decade-2001-review#comment-1242
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/outgoing-boss-blasts-pap-screening
How dare you get breast cancer and upset that bloody family. Don’t you know it is solely the woman’s responsibility to keep the family happy. Bloody woman you deserve what you get.
Typical emotional blackmail. I’m a woman in her fifties and am well aware on a daily basis of how useful I am to my family. That includes my parents, husband, children and grandchildren. How dare I make an informed decision not to screen. I must remember that the reason I was put on this planet is for everyone elses benefit. Not for my own sake it would appear. I’m coming back as a man next time.