SharingHope blog

It’s breast cancer awareness month, and I’m sharing, not selling, which is likely to keep me out of trouble with some cancer bloggers I know. I’ll get to the pink ribbon controversy in a moment. First, SharingHope.tv member ACS jerry uploaded the video below about the importance of mammogram. Since early detection is one of the best weapons we have against breast cancer, I urge you to watch and pass along the information.

Now, for the controversy.  An organization called Breast Cancer Action has a website called Think Before You Pink. It urges people to think critically about buying products just because they say they support breast cancer research. BCA has this definition on their site:

Pinkwasher: (pink’-wah-sher) noun. A company that purports to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon campaign, but manufactures products that are linked to the disease.

I don’t have the scientific background to support or reject the BCA claim that an ingredient in yogurt is linked with breast cancer, but whenever I see a product sporting a pink ribbon, I have wondered how much money actually goes directly to breast cancer research. Is it pennies on a dollar? How much good am I actually doing? Is this company using my heartstrings as a marketing strategy? Would having the answers to these questions make me pass on pink and donate directly to breast cancer research? Or, are pink ribbon promotions really effective ways to promote awareness and encourage corporate do-gooding?

Maybe I can do a little research on my blackberry while in the waiting room for my upcoming mammogram.