Health Services Workers' Union holds free breast screening in Techiman

The Health Services Workers' Union (HSWU) of TUC Ghana has organised breast cancer sensitization and free breasts screening programs at the Techiman Central Market and the Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Korbo near Techiman in the Bono East Region.

The Regional Women Committee of the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Chapter of HSWU organised the exercise as part of activities marking the “Breast Cancer Awareness or Pink Month – October” under the theme: “No-one should face breast cancer alone.”

The month of October is dedicated to creating awareness about breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also referred to in the United States as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.

Speaking at the free breast screening programmes at the Techiman market and the Krobo NTC, Forson Kenneth a Physician Assistant warned women against taking emergency contraceptives more than twice in a year.

According to him, too much intake of emergency contraceptives or pills to prevent unwanted pregnancies after unprotected sex could cause breast cancer, cervical cancer and other deadly female-related diseases.

Mr. Kenneth said even though the cause of breast cancer is unknown but there are many factors that can increase the risk of developing it and mentioned some of them as inherited genetics changes in women above 35 years, exposing the breasts to heat and others as well the regular intake of emergency contraceptives, which he noted, has become very rampant amongst the youth of today.

For her part, Mrs. Veronica Boatemaa, the Women Committee Chairperson for Health Services Workers' Union of TUC Ghana in charge of Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions said early detection is key in preventing breast cancer and therefore advised Ghanaian women to regularly visit health facilities to get their breasts checked with mammogram machines or do self-examinations.

Some of the beneficiaries of the exercise expressed their appreciation to members of HSWU for their kind gesture.