Congressional spouses gathered on May 24 to learn how to engage with young women in their home districts on breast health education with the help of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Breast Health Education for Young Women: Facilitator’s Guide. The briefing was graciously hosted by the Embassy of El Salvador to coincide with the recent release of the Spanish translation of the Guide. Sandra Cáceres, Minister Counselor for the Embassy, welcomed attendees on behalf of Ambassador Claudia Canjura de Centeno, who was unable to attend due to unforeseen changes in her schedule.
Erica Childs-Warner, Senior Director of Evaluation and Outreach at the Prevent Cancer Foundation®, presented an overview of the Guide, which is a user-friendly educational tool designed to increase young women’s skills and knowledge about breast health. The Guide was developed to use in interactive group sessions with high school and college-aged young women and encourages sharing with female relatives of screening age. The release of the Spanish-language Guide creates an opportunity to better reach Hispanic women in the U.S. and around the world.
Following Childs-Warner’s presentation, Dorys Lizamo, Prevention and Chronic Care Program Coordinator at the Spanish Catholic Center, and Pamela Shields, Senior Manager for Outreach and Research Administration at the Foundation, demonstrated a role-playing activity, which could be performed as part of a breast health education session. Lizamo played the role of a young daughter talking to her mother about the importance of getting a mammogram, and dispelled some common myths, such as the belief all women experience pain during a mammogram. The role-playing activity drove home the impact this program can have in empowering young women to share health knowledge with their families.
The briefing ended with a Q&A, which allowed spouses, several who represent districts with large Hispanic populations, the opportunity to ask specific questions about sharing and implementing the Guide in their communities. We are excited about the plans spouses have already made for upcoming events utilizing the Guide.
The English and Spanish versions of the Breast Health Education for Young Women: Facilitator’s Guide are available for free download at preventcancer.org/breasthealthguide.
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