September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It has been called the "silent killer" because early symptoms are often ignored, delaying diagnosis until the cancer is more advanced and all too often fatal. Today I learned about a new campaign to teach people to "look" for cancer, rather than just "find" it. Early detection is key, not just with ovarian cancer, but all cancers. September is now also F-tember. Fuck Cancer is a non-profit oraganization dedicated to spreading awareness about early detection. You can use their Facebook App to donate your status (Facebook and/or Twitter) to share messages talking about risk factors and warning signs of various cancers. So why use the F bomb? They said it so well I'm taking the liberty to quote the site.
WHY "FUCK" CANCER?
Because cancer doesn't deserve to be treated with respect. One question we're often asked is, "why 'Fuck' Cancer? Isn't that a little crude? Won't that turn some people off? Doesn't that limit the scope of your campaign?" Perhaps. But we're done being polite. And with thousands of people proudly involved in the movement already, we think it's a sentiment that is widely shared.
Fuck Cancer is intended as an affront to the disease, not your sense of decency. It's not sexual, it's not violent, it's defiant.
Saying "Fuck Cancer" may make some people uncomfortable; we're okay with that. Talking about cancer openly may also make people uncomfortable; we're not okay with that. Despite the advances in treatment that have been made over the past few decades, cancer remains a highly stigmatized disease.
We're raised not to talk about our bodily functions or to swear. Well, Fuck that. We're going to do both in this campaign. This movement represents a much needed change in attitude as well as diagnosis."
I could not agree more or have said it better. Nearly all cancers (95%) are curable in their first stage, however in order to detect any cancer in its earliest stages you need to know your body, know the risk factors and know the symptoms. Fuck Cancer is a campaign talking about those risk factors & symptoms. So educate yourself and your followers by saying Fuck Cancer!
