While it is rare for teen girls to develop breast cancer, it is still advantageous to teach your teen daughter how to do a breast self exam and encourage her to do one monthly. Here are three reasons why your encouragement is essential:
Monthly breast self exams will help your daughter develop a healthy habit. She may be at low risk for breast cancer now but her risk will go up with age. If you have helped her develop a healthy monthly habit now, she will continue it throughout her adult life. Women who do monthly checks catch abnormalities early. Statistics show that the earlier you catch breast cancer, the greater your chance of survival.
Self breast exams allow your daughter to become comfortable with her body. Teens tend to steer away from ‘touching themselves’ after the big change of puberty hits. While this attitude is natural and understandable, it’s not healthy. Encouraging breast exams will over time change this attitude in your daughter. She will begin to know her body and be able to notice changes as they occur.
Encouraging breast self exams will open the lines of communication between you and your daughter when discussing physical health. For teens, becoming open and discussing their changing bodies and dancing hormones can take as long as it took for their bodies to change - years! But, when a parent is open to talking about breast self exams, it says that the parent is open to talking about other physical and sexual issues. Your teen will trust that and come to you later with their questions.
Monthly breast self exams are a healthy habit to follow. If you aren’t in the habit, start now. One of the rules of parenting is taking care of you. Remember, your teen - soon-to-be young adult - needs you. Take a look at this how to on the About.com Breast Cancer site.
