Ring of Silence: African American Women’s Experiences Related to their Breasts and Breast Cancer Screening

Authors

Eileen Thomas, University of New MexicoFollow

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore women’s memories and feelings concerning their breasts and breast cancer screening experiences in relation to their current breast cancer screening behaviors. Twelve African American women shared stories that were generated in written narratives and individual interviews. Two core themes emerged from the data analysis: silence and societal contradictions. On further review and interpretation of the core themes, one integrative theme became apparent: Ring of silence. Contradictory messages women receive from society, both voiced and unvoiced, can have a long- term effect on how some women perceive their bodies, and how they value early detection related to breast cancer screening.

Keywords

Narratives, Breast Cancer Screening, and African American Women

Acknowledgements

This study was partially funded by the Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Kappa-at-Large Research Award.

Publication Date

6-1-2006

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2006.1678

Recommended APA Citation

Thomas, E. (2006). Ring of Silence: African American Women’s Experiences Related to their Breasts and Breast Cancer Screening. The Qualitative Report, 11(2), 350-373. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2006.1678