Throughout the year, the role of volunteers is already to carry out prevention and awareness. But in October, we are in even greater demand, particularly from municipalities, schools or companies which organize certain events around the subject. For example, we teach women to examine themselves, to do self-palpation. For this, we have a bust in which we have hidden tumors of varying sizes so that they can see what they are.
Today, are women getting enough screening?
We are well below northern countries like Norway, especially since Covid. Previously, 52% of women receiving a letter inviting them to be tested did so. Today, we are back down to 47%. These figures are of the same order of magnitude in Dunkirk. So that means that less than one in two women are screened, that’s too few. Even more so when we know that cancers (all types combined) have doubled in France over the last 30 years and that 9 times out of 10 we can be cured when we are screened in time. If we were told that we had the same statistics to play the lottery, we would all do it.
How can we explain that women are still not screened enough?
There are different explanations. The women we meet generally tell us that it’s an oversight, that there’s no need as they don’t feel anything, that they don’t want to, because it hurts, or that they are afraid that something will really be found for them.
How to convince them?
By continuing the teaching as soon as we can. And for that, we need volunteers, especially young people who are ready to train and who will be able to take over in a few years.
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