Three local sisters have peace of mind after getting the all clear during their BreastScreen WA mammograms last Friday in Haynes.
The sisters have been coming together for their two-yearly check-ups since 2007.
The tradition was instigated by their mum after a concerning trend of early-onset breast and ovarian cancer was noticed on one side of the family.
“Mum said as soon as we were all old enough, we’d go together,” Leanne Pilkington said.
“It’s a bit of together time – just us girls. We usually go and have a cuppa after.”
But their visit was a little different this year.
As part of a new initiative to encourage Indigenous women to use the free BreastScreen service, the sisters were given a beautiful pink sarong to use during the check-up, and to take home.
“They’re nice for the modesty,” Diane Van den Berg said.
Senior Aboriginal Health Program Officer for BreastScreen WA Kelly Cameron explained that the sarongs were a way to increase the cultural safety, comfort, and protection of Aboriginal women participating in breast screening.
“It can be a bit confronting for some women to have to remove their shirts for the screening,” she explained.
“So, these sarongs are both beautiful and practical.”
The sarongs are illustrated by local artist and Pinjarup-Whadjuk woman Chloe Calyon.
She explained the design features women surrounded by meeting place symbols “representing communities offering support, strength and guidance”.
The sarong project was inspired by BreastScreen Victoria’s The Beautiful Shawl Project, which was developed in an effort to help close the gap on health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women.
The rates of breast cancer are the same between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women. But the participation rate for eligible Aboriginal women in the BreastScreen WA program remains consistently low (below 30 percent), while it is currently more than 50 percent for eligible non-Aboriginal women.
The shawl trial in Victoria was a huge success and won a 2019 VicHealth Award in ‘improving health equity’.
BreastScreen WA are hopeful the new sarongs will have a similarly positive effect on engagement and participation here.
BreastScreen WA provides free screening mammograms (x-rays) every two years to women aged 40 and over, with no abnormal breast symptoms.
There are currently four mobile services, but a fifth one will be added very soon.
