Celebrating Our Sisters, Survivors, And Warriors During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Women’s Health Team at Fenway Health celebrates October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fenway Health offers onsite screening mammography services, as well as referrals to our partner hospital Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for additional diagnostic imaging and specialized breast care. Our Women’s Health Team also provides gender-affirming cancer services, such as cervical cancer screenings, tobacco cessation, and nutritionists.

Tackling Disparities

As the infographic below shows, cancer services that affirm women of color and LGBTQ women are crucial for both communities as they face health disparities. Black women are more likely to die from the disease and women of color die at an earlier age from breast cancer than white women. LGBTQ women face barriers to healthcare that contribute to lower cancer screening rates and higher risks of late stage cancer diagnosis than the general population.

Download the infographic and hear about healing and survival from the women of color whose lives have been impacted by cancer on our new resources page.

Celebrating Life

We also invite you to join us in celebrating the strength of women of color survivors and their supporters at the 19^th Annual Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch on Saturday, October 21, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Started in 1999, the brunch is named in memory of Audre Lorde, a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” who battled cancer for 14 years. The theme for this year’s event is “Sisters, Survivors, Warriors” to encourage cancer survivors to unite in sisterhood, learn about survival through health education, and rise as warriors. You can RSVP for the event here.

Each year, the brunch honors community members who embody Audre Lorde’s strength. This year’s recipients of the Audre Lorde Trailblazer and Spirit of Fire Awards are Brianna Moody, Girls’​ Health Coordinator and Community Health Educator at YW Boston, and Irvienne Goldson, Deputy Director of Health Services Department at Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. The event will also feature a musical performance by Zili Misik, an interactive dance session by Uprising Dance Theater, spoken word performances, health education sessions, and a raffle. The community will have access to resource tables from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Codman Square Health Center, Cancer Care Center at Boston Medical Center, and Family Van. We can’t wait to see you there!