Women Can Stay Protected With a Breast Health Mobile App

Breast self-check is the simplest and easiest way for women to protect their breasts. As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, Elation Communications spotlights a mobile app that helps women maintain their breast health and directly connects them to a medical professional year round.

The Keep A Breast app focuses on information, support, and, most importantly, access. Created by Keep A Breast Foundation™, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people around the world with breast health education and support, the breast self-check app connects users who think they may have discovered something during their check with a telehealth medical professional via its partnership with Carbon Health, a technology-enabled health care provider that combines smart technology with inviting clinics and a robust virtual offering. This enables users to have direct, instantaneous support in case they find something that is not normal in their self-check.

According to Keep A Breast Foundation, over 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. each year. Approximately 12,000 of those diagnosed are under 40. While breast cancer is a serious issue for all women, it disproportionately affects Black women, who are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women. There are many factors that contribute to being diagnosed with and surviving breast cancer. For Black women, a key indicator that affects their survival is their race. Black women have a higher mortality rate when it comes to breast cancer. Research shows the higher mortality rate isn’t due to just a genetic predisposition but also to a deeply rooted history of injustice and inequality. Black women in America often face a lack of access to health care, screenings, and education, all of which contributes to keeping them at a higher breast cancer mortality rate than their White counterparts.

The Keep A Breast app was designed to increase access to health care. Medical providers are on standby to offer seamless care and chat through any concerns with those who need it, so no one is left out. According to the National Cancer Institute, when breast cancer is detected early in the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98%. Keep A Breast Foundation promotes a monthly routine of self-checks so more people can detect changes in their bodies quickly, seek medical advice, and potentially detect cancer early. 

The Keep A Breast app also includes stories from breast cancer survivors, additional breast health resources and information, rewards, and improved scheduling. Although it is an important breast health tool for everyone, the app was designed specifically with young people in mind because they are so often left out of the breast cancer conversation. With the app, Keep A Breast hopes to inspire young people to build a positive relationship with their bodies, in order to live a healthy and preventive lifestyle. 

The Keep A Breast app is available for free download on both the App Store and Google Play! You may download the free app at www.keep-a-breast.org/keep-a-breast-app. Learn more about Keep A Breast Foundation™ at www.keep-a-breast.org.