Mo & Mautner Say
Check Your Breasts!

women are the hardest to reach
with lesbian-oriented health mes-
sages,” said DeBold. “Many les-
bians wouldn’t dream of visiting
an lgbt community center or
attending a gay pride event in
their own towns, for fear of being

In an innovative approach to
early breast cancer detection,
the Washington DC—based
Mautner Project for Lesbians
with Cancer has teamed up with
Dykes to Watch Out For cartoon-
ist Alison Bechdel. Bechdel has

IN THE SHOWER
OR LYING DOWN:

Examine each ‘breast and
armpit from top to bottom,
keeping your hand flat and

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provided the art for a bathroom-
friendly reminder to women on
the importance and technique for
breast self-exam. The cards,
reproduced here by permission,
are included in a kit the Mautner
Project is making available to
lesbian-friendly inns and bed-
and-breakfasts for their guests.

“Lesbian-friendly
B&B’s provide a welcoming and
safe place for lesbians to relax
and be themselves,” said
Kathleen DeBold, Executive
Director of the Mautner Project.
“That makes them the perfect
environment for delivering breast
health messages geared toward
our community.”

Because B&B’s are such
an integral part of the lesbian
community, “Beds, Breakfasts
and Breasts” (the 3-B project)
will also help the Mautner
Project reach a wider segment of
the lesbian population, especially
those who are older or closeted.
“Older lesbians are at a higher
risk for cancer and closeted

Chiropactic

fatal Bod ltealthciiirtic;

using the pads of the fingers.
Learn what your breasts
feel like.

Some women have

breasts that have lumps
naturally. Look for any
E-lrrysical changes like

ots or thickenings.

outed, but they will visit an out-
of-town B&B, so that’s where
we’ll reach them.”

In addition to educating
lesbians about breast cancer risk
reduction and screening, the
Beds, Breakfasts and Breasts
project highlights the services
and support available to lesbians
with cancer, their partners ,and
caregivers. These range from
phone and email support for

women who are homebound or i

geographically isolated, to refer-
rals to lesbian-friendly providers
and agencies in local communi-
ties. “The Mautner Project exists
so that no lesbian has to face the
challenges of cancer alone,” says 1,
DeBold. “The more women we ;
can reach through the 3-B pro- 
gram, the closer we’ll be to mak- 
ing that a reality.”
The next Mautner

Project efiort will address the
health effects of smoking and
will be called “Beds, Breakfasts,
and Butts.” v