Every year around 60,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK alone, that’s the equivalent of one person every 10 minutes. At Sipsey, being specialists in mastectomy fittings, we have been working hard to raise awareness about looking out for the symptoms of breast cancer.
Sipsey believes it’s important to raise awareness all year round and this is why Sukhy always encourages ladies to come in and get fitted regularly as this will encourage them to keep checking their breasts, especially as, over the years, breast cancer has fast become the most prominent form of cancer, however ladies are unable or unwilling to talk about it.
A recent article in Bloomberg suggests that cultural taboos only exacerbate the problem. Not only are Asian women generally reluctant to discuss their bodies, but they also often delay visits to see the doctor when they find something wrong. Discomfort with the process of diagnosis and treatment is an additional concern.
Research conducted in other countries suggests women perceive mammography exams as uncomfortable, unnerving, and intimidating; these feelings are undoubtedly shared by women in the Asian community. (Source: Medical Daily)
Breast cancer carries a stigma with it which needs to be removed in order to save more lives, often this stigma is due to the taboos which still encase women’s breasts within the Asian community, if we are to remove the stigma of breast cancer, we must first break the taboos which so prominently surround women’s bodies.
Sipsey is trying to do just that, Sukhy has been working closely with two local breast cancer charities to not only give talks about the issue and what common symptoms to look out for (swelling, skin irritation or dimpling, breast or nipple pain, nipple discharge) but also by giving support to their ladies through Sipsey Lingerie’s mastectomy fitting service.
Throughout the course of October, Sipsey will be raising Breast Cancer Awareness through displays, a mastectomy evening and blog posts which are to go out weekly, tackling the issues surrounding the illness. We are also part of the bra bank scheme, ‘Your Smalls Appeal’ in which you can drop off your old bras to us anytime throughout the year, these bras will then be sent to Africa in aid of a great cause, supplying bras to those who don’t have access to them, so far, the appeal has sent over 1,000 bras to medical centers and schools in Gambia.
October is not just about Breast Cancer Awareness at Sipsey, this year, we are proud to announce that we have been selected as one of the 101 small businesses to feature on the Small Biz 100, our day is set as 21st October, with the main Small Business Saturday event taking place on 4th December.
We are thrilled to be taking part in Small Business Saturday this year as it’s a brilliant way of supporting independent boutiques and businesses. At Sipsey, we believe strongly in encouraging people to start shopping local and helping independent companies to flourish. Not only does this have a positive impact on the economy but it also dents the fast fashion industry and supports fair and ethical trading.
We will have more updates on both breast cancer awareness and Small Business Saturday on our social media and blog pages so keep an eye out! You can find us on Twitter: @SipseyLingerie, Facebook: Sipsey Lingerie, Instagram: @Sipseylingerie and Pinterest: @SipseyLingerie.
