2023 World AIDS Day

As we continue to recognize World AIDS Day we want to raise awareness of HIV prevention through our “Touch of Red” performance and remember our loved ones with a beautiful “Rose Petal Ceremony”.

The world is more connected than ever before – from a digital point of view. The process of building communities – coming together with people across cultures to share goals and ideas – is even more important now. One of the best things you can do as an individual who is part of a thriving and growing community is to take an active role.

Teens Helping Each Other: “Honoring Our Past”, “Celebrating the Present”, and “Youth Creating a Better Tomorrow”:

The peers at Teens Helping Each Other came together and presented several public service announcements acknowledging the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness, spotlighting the current problems surrounding the epidemic, and brought an optimistic view to the future of HIV/AIDS if we band together as a community.

Panel Discussion:

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in 2023 it's that life is a constant learning curve. With this, we made sure to engage our community virtually with a panel discussion so our audience can learn from the panelist’s discourse and interaction. 

 Through this event, we were better able to understand our community which is one of the key steps in community involvement. To promote active change it is more effective when we all work together and World AIDS Day cannot highlight that enough. Once again, thank you all for joining in with us on this amazing evening, and for those who couldn’t make it this time we look forward to next time together!   

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2023

Oftentimes, people don’t realize that they are not alone when it comes to their struggles. Whether it be financial struggles, relationship issues, and even health problems, there is always someone out there who understands exactly what it is you are going through. The month of October has been dedicated specifically to those with breast cancer and people whose loved ones have it, to help them come to terms with it, accept it, talk about it, and figure out different treatment plans.

Organizations like Breast Cancer Now, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, INC, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation have all been dedicated to informing people about the symptoms, risks, and treatments of breast cancer. They have made it their mission to teach women, men, and everyone in between what they should do if they think they might have breast cancer.

The call to breast cancer awareness is especially important nowadays, during this COVID era. Unfortunately due to the huge setbacks that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of breast cancer cases have gone undiagnosed in the past year, considering that there were many complications when it came to screenings and evaluations such as mammograms. But organizations like the ones that were mentioned above, and much more, are raising money in order to try to fight these newly arisen challenges.

So what is breast cancer? Breast cancer refers to cancer that starts in the breast of a person. Like other types of cancers, it is a lump, or a tumor, that forms in the localized area, and that can eventually spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. Breast cancer is typically found in people assigned female at birth, however people assigned male at birth are still at risk. Even though they may not have breasts that mimic those of people assigned female at birth, they still have breasts.

There are various types of breast cancers. There are those that start in the nipple area (the ducts that carry milk to the nipple), known as ductal cancer. There are those that start in the glands of the breast milk itself, and these are called lobular cancer. There are lesser common ones such as phyllodes tumors, and there are other tumors called sarcomas that can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

In order to determine whether or not breast cancer is present, doctors typically perform a biopsy. This is a small surgery in which they cut out a piece of the tissue in question and send it over to a lab in order to be tested. They also sometimes do a hand exam on the breast(s), and then use machines just to be sure. Screenings/evaluations such as mammograms, breast ultrasounds, and MRIs can all be used.

Some common symptoms that you should watch out for include lumps/swellings on or around the breast area, irritation of the skin on or around the breast- rashes, hives, flakiness, etc- breast and nipple size changes (usually gets bigger), pulling in of the nipple or the nipple protruding, and pain on or around the breast and nipple area. It is really important to be aware of the slightest change that occurs in the breast because while it could be simple hormones and regular changes, it could also be something much more dangerous. That is why it is recommended that EVERYONE does a self-check exam at least once a month, but especially for people who get periods.

In order to perform a self-check exam, you must lift up your arm and start to feel everywhere around your breast for any bumps. Start to feel under the armpits, under the breast, around the nipple, the side of your breast right under your underarm. If you feel a bump, it is best to go to a professional and get it checked out.

How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam

While cancer never discriminates against anyone, there are a lot of people who are at risk of getting it. Drinking alcohol, being overweight/obese, not being physically active, using birth control, using hormone therapy for/after menopause, age, implants, being born female, genes, and having radiation exposure to your chest are all examples of some of the risk factors that can cause one to have a much higher rate of developing breast cancer. Some of these risk factors can be changed while others can’t. That is why it is important that no matter what, you always do your monthly self-check exam, and aim to live a healthy lifestyle that includes a proper diet and exercise.

What if I already have breast cancer, what do I do? If you have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, I understand it is tough to accept sometimes, but it is important for you to recognize that your life isn’t over and that there are plenty of different treatments out there. There are local treatments that aim to treat the tumor without affecting the rest of the body. There are also systemic treatments that aim to treat all the tumors in the body. There is radiation therapy, as well as surgery. It is best to speak with your doctor so that they can assess what stage you are currently in and work with you to create the best treatment plan for you.

Whatever stage you are in, take a step back and realize that there are people who are experiencing the exact same thing you are going through. You aren’t alone, so don’t be afraid to reach out. There are many, many support groups out there, all with the purpose of making you feel heard and understood. For resources, support groups, and more visit these websites!

https://reach.cancer.org/?_ga=2.50837609.1914199439.1635449958-1959894477.1635449957

https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-patient-navigator

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/prevention.htm?src=SocialMediaToolkits

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2023

In the month of October, we wear the color pink to raise awareness and applaud people who are affected by breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual health campaign that takes place from October 1 to October 31st. The BCAM was created to educate people and provide information on breast cancer prevention, early screening/testing, and to help those who may have been diagnosed. The need for people, communities, and businesses to join in this campaign has become more crucial due to Covid-19. The American Cancer Society states that more than 42 thousand women will die from Breast Cancer in 2020 alone, thus making it more important to spread awareness all year long.

Although breast cancer can affect both sexes, the occurrence in females is significantly higher, as one in eight women develop breast cancer over their lifetime. According to the Medical West Healthcare Center, when breast cancer is detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate is 98%! Thus, early detection and treatment are very important. 

Here are some risk factors that are important to know:

1. Having a family history of breast cancer

2. Having dense breasts

3. Having a genetic mutation of the genes BRCA 1 and 2, 

4. It’s also important to note that the risk of breast cancer increases with age.

Some of the symptoms of breast cancer include: 

• Changes in size or shape of the breasts

•  Spontaneous nipple discharge, 

•  Change in skin color and/or texture. 

Knowing you have breast cancer can be an extremely scary diagnosis. However, there are various options one can do for treatment and thus become one of the millions of survivors of breast cancer!

Treatments for breast cancer include local treatments and systemic treatments where local treatments only affect the tumor while systemic treatments can reach cancer cells everywhere in the body. The type of treatments one can receive is highly individualized and dependent on your health situation. 

While going through treatment for breast cancer, being around a supportive circle can help one’s mental health greatly. Family and friends are most often a big source of a person’s happiness and being around them can help one go through this difficult process. 

Although knowing this information is essential, it’s important not to self diagnose. Instead, we should take charge of our breast health by getting tested early and yearly, informing our doctors of any changes in our breasts.

Wear Pink!

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Bisexual Visibility and Inclusion!

We at THEO pride ourselves on expressing love to all people regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, etc. For those who may not know, the B in LGBTQ+ stands for Bisexual. Bi’ meaning two, has long contibruted to the idea that Bisexual people only like two genders, men and women. What’s the Real Difference between Bi- and Pansexal? A Rolling Stone article by Zachary Zane, discusses this reclaimed definition of bisexuality and it’s purpose to “feed less into the binary of gender”. The old definition was not only problematic to fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically those outside of the gender binary, but to bisexuals themselves. The new definition for some self identified bisexuals is seeking to be more inclusive. It includes the idea that they can be attracted sexually or romantically to two (or more) genders. Meaning that a bisexual person is not limited in their attraction to those who identify with their assigned gender at birth, cisgender. But can share love with all regardless of gender identity.

Bisexuality Dating is Hard by Amy Stretten details the hardships about bisexuality and dating because of outdated stereotypes and misconceptions. Examples include that  bisexual people are confused, unable to commit, preferring one gender over another, “experimenting, just gay,” etc. Many bisexual people feel left out by the LGBTQ+ community because of the old definition continuously being held over them.

So on this day and on, rid yourselves of these outdated stereotypes about bisexual people and instead be an ally to a group of people seeking to rewrite and take ownership of how they are defined.

 Here some ways to be an ally:

1. Listening and being open-minded

2. Confronting your own prejudices and bias

3. Speak up

4. Stay Informed

Bisexual Dating is Hard - 5 reasons why

What's the real difference between bi and pansexual