Novartis survey shines a light on hidden realities of women's conversations about breast health
Conversations around breasts start early in a woman’s life, whether it be in a school setting via health class and dress codes or permeated through the media and exacerbated by societal pressure. But as companies, healthcare providers and others in the breast cancer space know, conversations around breast health often merit barely a whisper outside of clinical settings.
To find out more, Novartis linked up with the Harris Poll for its inaugural Breast Health and Experience Index, surveying more than 3,000 U.S. women about how they think about, talk about and care for their breasts. The poll brought to light a handful of key insights that may be shaping the narrative around breast health.
Importantly, the way women feel about their breasts is enmeshed with their perception of their identity and self-image, Novartis found. About two-thirds of U.S. women polled defined their breasts as a “large part” of their identity, and 44% said they feel self-conscious about them. The latter number rose to 63% when homing in only on women with breast cancer.
Despite any worries that women may carry about their breasts, these feelings are rarely expressed in conversations held outside of a clinical setting. Nearly half (49%) of breast cancer patients and 2 in 5 (39%) women overall reported wishing that they had more open conversations about their breast health with others.