Earlier this month, the tragic news of Sarah Harding losing her battle with breast cancer was announced. Within 12 hours of the announcement, breast cancer charity Coppafeel! saw an increase of 200,000 visits to their site. It was clear that the news shocked many people, and there was a need for useful information to be spread to help anyone concerned.
Coppafeel! is determined to break the cycle of young people thinking cancer doesn’t affect them, after a recent revelation stated that a quarter of young people don’t realize they are at risk of developing breast cancer. Through their latest campaign ‘Know Yourself’, the charity is encouraging young people to become more familiar with their bodies, to ensure any changes are spotted quicker.
The campaign documents a diverse group getting to know their bodies; squeezing bums, touching boobs, grabbing bellies, and much more. The video is realistic, showing a range of different body shapes and identities.
Speaking on ‘Know Yourself’, campaign director Jess Kohl said; ”The idea for the project was not only to raise awareness around an important issue – that young people of any gender can be affected by breast cancer – but also to encourage young people to get comfortable with their bodies, to embrace themselves whatever shape and size, however, they identify, and by doing so potentially protect themselves from a life-threatening illness.”
Coppafeel! also included real-life stories in the campaign, including that of Lucy, who was 26 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Lucy hopes her cameo will show that young people are affected by the disease, whilst also spreading awareness of the black community being at risk. Speaking on the issue of previous breast cancer adverts not being inclusive enough, Lucy said; “When I see these adverts about cancer, I don’t see black people, I don’t hear about people speaking about cancer. I almost felt like it just didn’t happen to us.”
To ensure everyone who sees the campaign is able to spot changes in their body, the campaign’s website, Coppafeel.org comes with a self-help 101 on how to accurately check your boobs, making certain that everyone knows what to look out for, and how the symptoms of breast cancer can feel or appear.
Words by Nadia Clasper
Photo Credit: Marina Choy for @coppafeelpeople
