Friday Double Dose: Breast Cancer Foundation Turns 25, HDTV Reveals Real Flaws, Vegan Cupcakes and More

By Christine Cupaiuolo — January 26, 2007

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Turns 25: It now has a new name and a new advertising campaign. The AP’s Jamie Stengle writes:

In the 25 years since, the foundation has grown from a small gathering of women in Brinker’s living room to a world-renowned operation that will have invested roughly $1 billion in community outreach and research by year’s end.

The Dallas-based organization has 200 employees, more than 100,000 active volunteers and 125 affiliates. Its annual Race for the Cure has grown from 800 women who ran for charity in Dallas to about 1.5 million participants in 120 races worldwide. The foundation has funded work in more than 47 countries.

The non-profit is celebrating its 25th year with a new name — Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an edgy new advertising campaign that includes T-shirts reading: “If you’re going to stare at my breasts, you could at least donate a dollar to save them,” sales of pink promise rings and a pledge to raise another $1 billion in the next 10 years.

Thoughts?

U.S. Mammogram Rate Drops: “The share of women 40 and older who said they had a mammogram in the previous two years slipped from 76.4 percent to 74.6 percent between 2000 and 2005, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” reports the AP. “The CDC and other researchers said possible explanations for the drop include a shortage of mammography screening centers and specialists, and a lack of health insurance among patients.”

Monday Night Feminism: New discussion series kicks off with a great title and challenging subjects.

HDTV = More Plastic Surgery?: Some porn actors aren’t thrilled about their “real” appearance. “Jesse Jane, one of the industry’s biggest stars, plans to go under the knife next month to deal with one side effect of high-definition,” reports The New York Times. “The images are so clear that Ms. Jane’s breast implants, from an operation six years ago, can be seen bulging oddly on screen. ‘I’m having my breasts redone because of HD,’ she said.”

Willful Ignorance: “Teens who are merely told ‘Just don’t do it’ are lacking more than an anatomy lesson or information on contraceptive choices,” argues Courtney Martin in The American Prospect. “They are also missing out on essential communication skills and life-saving knowledge about sex and power.”

Pregnancy Buzz: A Google search on the BMJ study that found moderate caffeine intake does not increase the risk of premature or underweight births turned up quite the mix of headlines. To wit: “Moderate cups of coffee can do no harm to your unborn baby”; “Caffeine’s impact on pregnancy uncertain”; “Caffeine Has ‘No Effect’ on Pregnancy”; “Some Coffee OK Late in Pregnancy?” — Good luck with that.

More on Low-Dose Birth Control: “New birth-control pills that are less effective in preventing pregnancy than the original contraceptives of the 1960s still could win federal approval if they promise other benefits, under a recommendation by health advisers,” reports AP.

Vegan Ethics Frosted with Hedonism: I do love a vegan cupcake

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