The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences recently hosted a creative, hands-on Breast Cancer event for students – showing them how to do self-checks and why early detection matters.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the event’s main message was early detection saves lives. 

Dr Lizel Hudson, Work-Integrated Learning and Language Coordinator in the Faculty, said the initiative was driven by students for students, with Nursing Science and Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences students taking the lead.

“The amazing team from Nursing Science said they wanted to do something for the students — to create not only awareness about breast cancer, but also to teach them how to do a breast self-examination. It’s a powerful tool that is often neglected. We wanted to show them what to look out for and why it’s important,” she explained.

At the HIV/AIDS Unit, students could participate in demonstrations to learn the correct technique for performing a breast self-examination and conduct their own examinations.

One of the highlights of the event was the creative use of sweets with different textures to help explain the differences between normal and abnormal breast tissue.

“Tumours come in all shapes and sizes, but this gave students something tangible and sensory to remember: if it feels like the hard sweet, get it checked.”

Hudson thanked the Faculty leadership, CANSA, the Nursing Science Department, and the students for their support.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in South Africa and the Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences Department recently arranged a range of activities to raise awareness of the disease. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and clinical instructor Charne Martin said one of the goals of the activities, which were arranged by first-year radiation therapy students, was to promote breast self-examination.

The activities included cupcake sales to raise money for oncology patients’ transport funds, examining “breast phantoms” for lumps, and pop balloon games where students could pop a balloon and answer a question about breast cancer to win a prize.

Pamphlets explaining to students how to do a breast cancer exam were also handed out, while students could place their handprints on a canvas to show support.

According to the World Health Organization breast cancer impacts 2.1 million women each year, and also causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Dedicated on their mission to inform and empower women to take responsibility for their health, understand their health options, the Student Affairs Division (DSA) in partnership with the Mina Foundation, ran a Women's Health Awareness drive, creating ‘Menstrual Cup awareness, Breast Cancer Awareness and HIV Health Screening’.

The campaign was held recently at Bellville campus, and the DSA distributed over 100 Mina Cups (a feminine hygiene product that is inserted during menstruation period to those interested after listening to the information session. Melani-Ann Hara, Student Development Officer, said the Mina menstrual cups were donated by the Gift of the Givers through an initiative led by Ayesha Reiners from the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment. Hara said they have a group of students who have been trained by the Mina Foundation to conduct awareness campaigns across campus and students can collect a Mina cup from the campus clinics.

She said the Mina menstrual cups are an alternative option for females, who would like to consider the environment, who are struggling with the costs of sanitary pads/tampons each month and those looking for alternatives due to health reasons. A Mina Cup can be used for up to five years, saving one’s money and being environmentally friendly.

She said over 1000 females will benefit from this initiative and “we are hoping to continue the partnership with Mina Foundation and Gift of the Givers who have sponsored the Mina cups to CPUT”. “[We aim] to provide alternatives to students, as well as ensuring no female student misses out on her education due to menstruation.”

“We are also thankful to all those who attended and especially to those student volunteers who made the initiative a success,” said Hara.

DSA also leads awareness about breast cancer screening and provide information about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI's) as well as prevention measures. Hara and her team provided information about possible symptoms of breast cancer and also advised on how to do monthly self-breast examinations.

To those students or staff members who are interested in using the Mina cup, please educate yourself by getting more information online https://minacup.com and speak to the nurses at the Campus Health Clinics where you can assess them for free (while stocks last).

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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