Breast Health Education Kit
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Learning About the Breast Health Education Kit (BHEK)
- What is the Breast Health Education Kit?
- When and Why was the BHEK developed?
- What is the Education Kit?
- What is the Comic Strip?
- What is the Breast model?
- What is the survivor poster?
In 2004 Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council developed and distributed the Breast Health Education Kit (BHEK). The BHEK was developed to provide important information regarding breast health and breast cancer in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French.
This kit defines and explains all the terms necessary to understanding breast health. In an attempt to reach people across Nunavut, the BHEK is available in all four languages of Inuktitut, Innuinaqtun, French, and English. The kit consists of useful educational material including posters, a comic strip version of breast self-examination, shower cards for at-home reminders, a set of lesson ideas, and a tabletop display board. The board demonstrates breast self examination, a clinical breast exam and a mammography. The kits were developed in 2004 and sent to the High Schools that go to grade twelve, Adult Learning Centers, and Health Centers in all communities.
The comic strip shows different ways for a young woman to examine her breasts once a month at the same time each month. The format is appealing to young people and teachers can use this reinforced master sheet to make copies for the class. They are available in the four languages previously mentioned.
This teaching model closely resembles and feels like a breast in which there are varying sizes of “lumps” hidden so it can be used to learn how an unusual lump might feel. It comes with an information booklet on teen breast cancer and a washable, protective slip cover.
A group of breast cancer survivors agreed to participate in making a poster regarding breast health . While the project was running,collaboration between survivors, teachers, and community health representatives helped to raise the information level of youth around breast cancer issues and encourage them to choose health related careers.