A new study by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners shows parabens, which are found in tons of hair and personal care items, can cause harmful effects in Black women. The study goes on to say one in eight women in the United States will get breast cancer during their lifetime.
Black women are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer under the age of 40 than any other racial or ethnic group. Parabens cause breast cancer cells to grow, invade, spread, and express genes linked to cancer and to hormone action. Importantly, a survey looking for products that do not contain parabens and other harmful chemicals revealed that there are fewer paraben-free options marketed to Black women.
The study is also a part of a community-led project called the Bench to Community Initiative, which brings together scientists and community members, including breast cancer survivors, to create ways to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals in hair and personal care products in Black women with breast cancer.
Click ▶️ to listen to Jamie Jackson’s report:
