Italian Bras? – 30 August 2004

This letter to the editor was published in the Star, 30 August 2004

On Thursday, 5^th August 2004, the Star carried a full page advertisement (Metro Star, Page 11) for a ‘special’ bra. The advertisement claims that when you have one breast, you have to make the choice of wearing only imported bras from Italy. This is a misleading and highly offensive statement both to women in general and in particular to those of us who have ‘one breast’ after breast cancer. We survivors are living our lives remarkably well without this “imported bra from Italy”. We too have made a choice. There are many options from which we made this choice. The options available vary from home-made prosthesis and inserts to a variety of bras including the many local and foreign brands. In fact many of us are still using the brands that we used before the cancer experience. Life goes on as before. 

The advertisement was part of a cancer awareness and screening campaign. Though it is noble of these companies to promote awareness, is it not inappropriate and downright insensitive to promote such an item as this? It surely says very little for screening! Effective screening should result in saving the breast and hence negate the need for such a bra. 

The Executive Committee,
Breast Cancer Welfare Association

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