As the newly hired Administrative Assistant for the Maurer Foundation, one of my responsibilities is to enhance our social media presence. In order to do that, it is very important to understand the goals and mission of the organization. What would be a better way to learn about the organization than attending a Breast Health Educator training and certification class?
I really enjoyed the hands on experience and learned a lot about breast anatomy and breast cancer risks. The training was very informative as a whole and there were many important aspects pointed out. For example, I learned that different cultures have varying views about women’s breast. In some cultures, a woman is told to cover up and not show off her body, particularly her chest, in tight or revealing clothing. Being South Asian, I personally have seen something very similar in my culture where women are expected to avoid exposing their bodies in an indecent way. Often times, South Asian women tend to avoid any kind of conversation about their breast health in front of men, even from their own family. This concept might not be common in the American culture, but it is a very important part of South Asian values. Culture plays a vital role in a woman’s breast health and we learned that we should be aware of the cultural differences when addressing the topic of breast cancer risks.
It was interesting to learn that when a woman with dense breasts gets her mammogram done, she gets a vague letter in the mail stating that she has dense breasts. I personally know many women who receive this letter, rip it up, and throw it away, because the letter contains no sense of urgency or proper guidance. However, the letter actually does mean that follow-up should be done sooner than later in order to detect possible hidden forms of breast cancer. This piece of vital information can save so many lives and help in early detection.
I was able to partake in this training with Alyssa Eisenberg, who had participated in our online training years ago and had wanted to complete the certification process. Maurer Foundation’s training program is a vital source of information for anyone who would like to learn more about breast anatomy, risk factors, healthy lifestyle changes or general information about breast health. I believe that this program not only promotes breast health education but helps you learn more about your own body and what you can do to stay healthy and invest in your own breast health. Click here to learn more about our training/certification process.
