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Hey guys,

This post may seem a little "out-there" for this site and this type of community, but this topic is something that has affected me personally, and I feel the need to raise awareness for it wherever I can, so here it goes...

As most of you would know Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an internationally recognised awareness campaign that spans the entire month of October.

Whilst I haven't been affected myself by this disease, I have had to watch this horrible cancer tear my family apart, as it was revealed several years ago that it affects my family genetically. In the past 15 years alone, a few women in my family have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and unfortunately only some made it to the other side.

So I can't stress to the women reading this how important early detection is with this horrible cancer. It may seem uncomfortable to have your breasts checked or have a mammogram, but it could quite literally be the difference between life and death.

Most of you have probably seen the video Serena Williams released recently, where she sings "I Touch Myself" by celebrated diva Chrissy Amphlett and the Divinyls, for the I Touch Myself Campaign. The campaign was started in 2014 after Amphlett's tragic death from Breast Cancer to raise awareness in association with Breast Cancer New South Wales and the Breast Cancer Network Australia. A campaign that has been very successful in raising awareness down here in Australia. And has been a driving force for my family to get checked, after they released the original music video starring singers like Olivia Newton John and Kate Cebrano: 2014 I Touch Myself Music Video

The last line Williams' sings is 'Think I would die if you were to ignore me', this for me personally strikes a heart string, as it pretty much perfectly paints the picture on how the later breast cancer is detected the more likely it is to be deadly. A scenario faced by my grandmother, who unfortunately passed away from it.

And to the men reading this, do not for one second think this fight only involves women! We have a very important role to play in challenging or encouraging the women in your life, whether it be your wife/girlfriend, sister, daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, or friend, to go and get checked.

So ladies, I challenge you this month to go get your breasts checked, I ask of you to challenge your friends and families to do the same. I challenge you to use social media and online communities to spread awareness. I challenge you to hold fundraisers to help raise awareness and funds to help fight this disease!

Breast Cancer is a silent killer, it doesn't care about age, colour, race, religion, income, sexuality, or ethnicity, it affects all types of people from all walks of life.

So I beg of you to go get checked and to spread awareness, because challenging someone to do the same could be the simple act of saving a life!

Thanks,
TBH

I Touch Myself Project
American Breast Cancer Foundation
Breast Cancer Network Australia
Berlei Australia Breast Cancer Fundraising Campaign