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Screening for breast cancer: medicalisation, visualisation and the embodied experience

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 21:35 authored by Frances Griffiths, Gillian Bendelow, Eileen Green, Julie Palmer
Women's perspectives on breast screening (mammography and breast awareness) were explored in interviews with midlife women sampled for diversity of background and health experience. Attending mammography screening was considered a social obligation despite women's fears and experiences of discomfort. Women gave considerable legitimacy to mammography visualizations of the breast, and the expert interpretation of these. In comparison, women lacked confidence in breast awareness practices, directly comparing their sensory capabilities with those of the mammogram, although mammography screening did not substitute breast awareness in a straightforward way. The authors argue that reliance on visualizing technology may create a fragmented sense of the body, separating the at risk breast from embodied experience.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Health

ISSN

1363-4593

Issue

6

Volume

14

Page range

653-668

Pages

16.0

Department affiliated with

  • Sociology and Criminology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2013-02-08

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