Early menarche puts you at risk of getting breast cancer – Nurse enlightens

A lot of ladies may rubbish the importance of getting their breasts screened for cancer because they may think they are too young to contract the disease, however, Farida Ibrahim, a registered General Nurse, has disputed this, saying that due to some factors, even teenagers can be at risk of contracting breast cancer.

Farida was interviewed by host, Mercy Bee the Ekumfi Princess on eTV Ghana’s Girl Vibes where she shared some insights on breast cancer in view of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month. She revealed that a young lady having her first menarche below the age of twelve is prone to developing breast cancer.

“Teenagers who have their menarche, which is their first menstruation before the age of twelve, you are also at risk of getting breast cancer”, she said. She also mentioned that women who give birth after age thirty are also predisposed to getting breast cancer.

More risk factors, she said, are basically being a woman, especially with melanin, taking a lot of alcohol, being exposed to radiation like those from x-ray machines, being obese and also being older than fifty. She went on to explain why women above fifty or women who have had their menopause are more at risk of getting the disease.

“When women get to the menopausal stage, sometimes, because of the menopausal symptoms, they are given some drugs called hormonal therapy and those drugs also predispose them to get breast cancer”, she expunged.