Philly's Bebashi Holds Annual "Breast Fest"

On August 13, Philadelphia's AIDS Service Organization Bebashi-Transition to Hope partners with Fox Chase Cancer Center to hold their Fifth Annual Breast Fest, a daylong event to promote breast health and overall wellness.

"I am really excited to see the outcome of Breast Fest," said Shaina Mitchell, coordinator of Bebashi's Breast Cancer Program Coordinator/Prevention Specialist. "We are expecting at least 200 participants, and we already had the maximum 30 clients register for the mobile unit's mammogram screening."

Mitchell said that over the course of the year, she has helped facilitate about 2,500 clinical breast exams, adding that these exams will be provided at the event, free of charge and with no registration. This is all part of their regular Our Bodies Breast Cancer Awareness Program, which is dedicated to provide awareness and increase the number of women getting mammograms and clinical breast exams.

"One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Unfortunately, women of color, while less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, are more likely to die from it. Bebashi is committed to helping to close this disparity," said Executive Director Gary Bell. "Bebashi's 'Our Bodies' program offers free referrals for mammograms for uninsured or underinsured women forty and over. Their Bosom Buddy support system accompanies women to their appointments upon request."

The American Cancer Society says that the goal of early screenings is to to find cancers before they start to cause symptoms. Early detection means using an approach that lets breast cancer be diagnosed earlier than otherwise might have occurred. Deputy Executive Director Linda Martin knows the importance of this, as she notes that early detection saved her life. Bebashi will do what's necessary to get Philadelphia women into these early screenings and informational sessions.

"As an incentive to participate, after every workshop we do, we give out a gift, from tote bags to wristbands," said Mitchell. "It definitely helps with outreach and the number of women getting these exams."

Next Wednesday's Breast Fest event will be a larger-scale example of this incentives program. It will feature not only health screenings and information, free Zumba by Josie demonstrations, spoken word performers, fun activities, local vendors and free food. There will also be a musical performance by G.T.K. music group featuring Gemma McIlhenny, Tammy Anderson and Kendra Anderson.

Bebashi was founded in 1985 in response to the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community of Philadelphia. They are a full-service HIV/AIDS case management agency with a special interest in serving low-income people of color with HIV disease. Their mission is to provide culturally sensitive health related information, direct service and technical assistance in the areas of sexual health and prevention of sexually transmitted disease to the urban community.

Programs are designed to meet the needs of the underserved community and educational efforts focus on street outreach to areas of the community most in need of prevention information and direct care services to those who are least likely to receive it. They have provided services to over 600,000 individuals since 1985.

Bebashi is also one of the few ASOs that cater to women, and this event is a tribute of sort to breast cancer survivors, as well as a call to action for all women to take care of their overall and breast health.

"We primarily serve the HIV population, and we offer free HIV and STD testing," said Mitchell. "We are very connected to other public health agencies in the community, and we have been promoting this event through them, as well as by press releases and via direct outreach in passing out fliers. If you look at past fests, we usually get about 200 participants, but this year, responses show there will be even more than that."