If you don't like your boobs you're more likely to get terminal breast cancer

The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS) have spotted an alarming trend: women who are dissatisfied with their breasts are less likely to self-examine, and are therefore less likely to spot the signs of breast cancer early.

Whether you have small ones, big ones, flatter ones or droopy ones, it’s likely there have been days when you haven’t liked your breasts. And if you truly dislike your boobs, then you’re not alone. A new survey has found that a shocking 70.7% are dissatisfied with their breast size.

The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS), which was published in March 2020, led by led by Professor Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University, spoke to over 18,000 women (average age 34) across 40 different countries, finding that 47.5 % of women wanted larger breasts than they currently had, 23.2 % wanted smaller breasts, and only 29.3 % were satisfied with their current breast size.

And within those who don’t like their breasts, British women are among the most dissatisfied, along with women in Brazil, Japan, China and Egypt.

But size and shape aside, there is a more worrying connection with not liking your boobs. You see, if you don’t like them, you probably pay less attention to them, and that could mean you check them less. The BSSS found that women who were dissatisfied with their breast size were less likely to practice self-examination, and were less confident about detecting changes in their breasts.

How to reduce your risk of breast cancer if you don't like your boobs

Checking your breasts is essential part of self-care, to ensure that you don’t miss any potential dangerous lumps. If you don't like your boobs, there is a simple solution to counteracting this problem: schedule checks into your diary and make a concious effort to check your breasts regularly. We recommend you check your breasts once a month, ideally a few days after your period ends.

How to check your breasts

Learning to check your breasts is easy – follow this handy guide that explains how to check your boobs, complete with pictures. And this Instagram post is useful too.

What to do if you are worried about your breasts

Thankfully there are new advances in medicine all the time which can help with a diagnosis if you are worried. For example, Cancer Research UK has devised an online calculator. And don't forget, a lump in the breast doesn't automatically signal cancer - here are five things that could be causing a lump in your breast.

If you want to reduce your risk of breast cancer, some studies have found that losing weight could help slash breast cancer risk by up to 26% in women over 50.

If you have any concerns about your breasts, please visit your GP as a matter of urgency.