Breast cancer awareness is one of the most popularized awareness campaigns on social media. Among that, people have been recently sharing hearts on Facebook to raise awareness for the cause. Though most people know what breast cancer is, many don’t know the signs and visual symptoms. This is problematic because popularized social media campaigns do very little to inform others about these signs.
Graphic designer Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont set out to change that issue. Beaumont has created images that note the common signs of breast cancer. This includes skin sores, bumps, and indentations using an unusual device—lemons. The #KnowYourLemons social media campaign has reached over 10 million Facebook users.
Beaumont had said that her personal experiences with breast cancer had prompted this campaign. “Both my grandmothers died from breast cancer. And when the second one died, I thought I should know more about cancer than I do,” Beaumont explained. She found the information online to be confusing, and wanted to create something that allowed those like herself to understand breast cancer in an easier format. She found it difficult at first to find a euphemism that accurately represented a breast. Due to censorship, it is hard for campaigns to use real breasts. This is why many previous breast cancer awareness campaigns have been so unsuccessful. The lemon, however, perfectly represents it. The shape of a lemon resembles a breast, it has skin, pores and a nipple just like an actual breast. The interior of the lemon resembles the interior anatomy as well.
Beaumont has partnered with the Worldwide Breast Cancer Association to inform woman what to look for during a breast exam. The best time to conduct a self-breast exam is a few days after a period has ended. Cancerous lumps are often immovable and hard, compared to a regular normal lump. If you experience any abnormalities during a breast exam please see your doctor, who will conduct a mammogram. These results will then be sent to a radiologist who will confirm whether or not your lump is cancerous. A final biopsy will determine whether the cells are benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The #KnowYourLemons campaign advises that “knowing these steps will help you to be more confident in taking charge of your health and seeking answers.”
Sources:
http://mashable.com/2017/01/16/lemons-visual-signs-breast-cancer/#XPDsCgPY8ZqB
https://www.worldwidebreastcancer.org