Mary-j-blige-breast-cancer-
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mary J. Blige participated in a panel &#8220;Screening the System: A Dialogue on Bias and Breast Health” presented by Hologic.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The conversation was geared towards the many reasons Black women don’t receive the best healthcare. While speaking</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Mary J. Blige also made it known </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">she feels as though</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> we don’t discuss such things in our community.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blige stated </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">that <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/?s=Mary+j+blige&;post_type=post">she</a> wasn’t very knowledgeable about mammograms until she was 40-years-old, according to <a href="https://blavity.com/mary-j-blige-said-she-didnt-know-about-mammograms-until-she-was-40?category1=news&;category2=life-style">Blavity</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know about breast cancer or mammograms until I was 40, and I was in the music business. And I was trying to take care of myself. My body started talking. So, I started listening.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blige also stated she found a doctor who helped her to become more diverse about the topic since it wasn’t discussed as a child.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I found out about it at the GYN. They don&#8217;t discuss this when we&#8217;re children. They don&#8217;t say, &#8216;Go get a mammogram.&#8217; You learn about this as you get older,&#8221; she expressed. “So, they don&#8217;t speak about it, and that&#8217;s why they end up in the hospital with two weeks to live. And now you know about it. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s extremely important to me.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mary J Blige shared that she had family members die from breast cancer, in addition to cervical cancer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;My aunt died from breast cancer. My grandmother died from cervical cancer, and one of my aunts just died from lung cancer.&#8221; She then spoke about what happens, when people find out too late due to resources and education. “What happens is they end up in the hospital, and there&#8217;s no one in our families speaking about it when we&#8217;re younger.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While discussing the disparities in the community, Dr. Arlene Richardson stated that we develop breast cancer at a younger age.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;We develop breast cancer younger. About 25-28% of our breast cancers occur under the age of 50. Eight percent occur under the age of 40,&#8221; she expressed, &#8220;If we were to wait to start looking for breast cancer at 50, another 12 to 1,300 Black women would die every year. Why would we do that?&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mary J. Blige reiterated that women should take care of themselves. “&#8230;Take care of yourself. Take care of your health.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Roomies, what do you think about the conversations we have in our community pertaining to breast cancer?</span></p>
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