Can wearing a bra cause breast cancer?
Sometimes they lift. Sometimes they separate. But do underwire bras cause breast cancer? Could it be that the very garment designed to offer women support is actually killing them? That’s the rumor that has been circulating for decades.
Sleeping in a Bra or Wearing It for Too Long
Our mothers have been pushing us hard not to wear a bra while sleeping, especially the underwired bras. According to our mothers and the popular myth, sleeping with the bra on restricts the pores from breathing. This restriction results in accumulation of sweat and builds-up toxins that are believed to be the hidden culprits of causing breast cancer. The same thinking goes for wearing a tight bra for too long. However, leading breast surgeons and cancer organizations have termed these myths as dubious. Though, they advise not to wear a bra that is too tight, as besides being uncomfortable, it can make you feel suffocated, thus causing breathing problems.
Wearing a Bra with an Underwire
This myth is like a rubber duck that refuses to sink even after several studies have quoted it as wrong. In the year 1995, a book (Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras) published by Soma Grismaijer and Sydney Ross Singer popularised this myth to an altogether different level. The book claims that bras with underwires obstruct the lymph flow from the bottom of the breasts, thus resulting in accumulation of toxins that can cause cancer. However, there is still no concrete scientific evidence that supports this myth of bra cause breast cancer!
Still Not Convinced?
Think of Men
Men don’t wear bras, and they also get affected by breast cancer. Though it is an uncommon malignancy and the number of cases registered in men is meager, men still fall prey to breast cancer. This inevitably cuts the rope that forms a connection between bra and breast cancer.
No Clear Evidence
There is no clinical and scientific basis of this claim that can prove the association between breast cancer and bra. According to a 2014 study which was a population-based case control study, there is no association between bra and breast cancer risk.
Now that it’s clear that wearing a bra is not related to breast cancer, it’s time that we empty that tiny shelf in our mind that was occupied with this myth. Fill up your shelf with the latest lingerie fashion in town.
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