The Intimate Apparel Council (which is the
US trade association for the multi-billion dollar bra
industry) threatened our publisher, Avery Publishing Group,
with a lawsuit if Dressed To Kill was released. The publisher
said the publicity would help spread the word. The lawsuit
never materialized.
After the book was released, the NBC
television news show, Dateline, was interested in doing a
story on our work. We were extensively interviewed by a
skeptical reporter who became a supporter. The story was then
abruptly terminated. The producer confidentially explained
that the policy of General Electric, which owns NBC, is to
avoid airing news stories that can adversely impact on other
GE interests. As it happens, GE is a manufacturer of
mammography machines.
Women's magazines, such as Glamour, Self,
and others, ran critical stories condemning our work, and
finding "experts" to encourage women to continue wearing bras.
Elle magazine planned a positive story about the bra/cancer
link, but was coerced into pulling the story by bra
advertisers. In various newspapers around the world, such as
the Guardian in the UK, stories were pulled prior to
publication because of fear that they may "panic the public",
including their lingerie advertisers.
The British Fashion Council (which is the
UK's equivalent of the Intimate Apparel Council) published the
Breast Health Handbook in 1996 to oppose our efforts. They
announced the formation of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Foundation, which was to receive donations from bra sales to
fund genetic research into breast cancer. The book criticized
our work, claiming, "The idea that wearing a bra encourages
cancer by trapping toxins was recently put forward by
researchers at the Institute for Culturogenic Studies (sic) in
Hawaii. Researchers from more august establishments promptly
dismissed it as claptrap." Without any medical evidence or
research, the book informs women that wearing bras is a health
necessity, and should be worn as early in life as possible to
prevent breast damage.
Our original publisher, Avery, was
purchased by giant Penguin Putnam in 1998. The new publisher
did not list the book for three years and refused to revert
publication rights to the copywrite holders, Singer and
Grismaijer. The book was virtually unavailable, and it was
thought to have gone out of print. Finally, after repeated
requests, the publishing rights were released to us in
October, 2001. (ISCD Press has been keeping it in print since
then.)
A television documentary was produced in
the year 2000 by Channel 4 in the UK, called, Bras- The Bare
Facts. In the documentary, 100 women with fibrocystic breast
disease went bra-free for 3 months to document the effect on
breast cysts and pain. Two prominent British breast surgeons
conducted the study. The results were astounding, and clearly
demonstrated that the bra is a serious health hazard. We were
interviewed for the program to discuss the bra/cancer
connection, which was considered highly plausible and
important by the doctors interviewed. Some theorized that, in
addition to lymphatic impairment, the bra could also cause
cancer by overheating the breasts. The documentary made
newspaper headlines in British Commonwealth countries
throughout the world, but no mention of it was made at all in
the US. The following day, headlines in the U.K. tried to
suppress fears of the bra/cancer link, and the doctors in the
study quickly distanced themselves from the cancer issue,
telling women to continue wearing bras. Their research for the
documentary was supposed to be published in a medical journal,
but never was. And no further research ever materialized to
follow-up on their work, which they said they would do.
Extensive news coverage of the program was available on the
Internet soon after it aired, but most articles were removed
shortly thereafter.
No follow-up studies have been done to
refute or confirm our research. None. While a Harvard study,
published in the European Journal of Cancer in 1991,
discovered that bra-free women have a lower rate of breast
cancer, the results were not central to the research they were
conducting and were considered unimportant and not
followed-up. In fact, apart from our initial 1991-93 Bra and
Breast Cancer Study, discussed in detail in Dressed To Kill,
and our follow-up research in Fiji, discussed in our book, Get
It Off!, there are still no other studies on the bra/cancer
link. Not even a letter or discussion of the issue can be
found in any medical journal. After decades of breast cancer
research, the bra is still completely ignored as even being a
potential factor for consideration. It's like studying foot
disease and ignoring shoes.
Keeping the Public Mystified
This lack of research, and the consequent
ignorance, are then used by cancer organizations to justify
further suppression of the issue. As the American Cancer
Society states on its website, (ignoring the Harvard study),
"There are no scientifically valid studies that show a
correlation between wearing bras of any type and the
occurrence of breast cancer. Two anthropologists made this
association in a book called Dressed To Kill. Their study was
not conducted according to standard principles of
epidemiological research and did not take into consideration
other variables, including known risk factors for breast
cancer. There is no other, credible research to validate this
claim in any way." And they don't seem interested in funding
any such studies in the near future, either. There are other
organizations that are similarly critical of the bra/cancer
link for lack of research evidence, while at the same time
discouraging any research on the subject.
Of particular interest is when breast
cancer organizations antagonistic to the issue declare the
bra/cancer link to be "misinformation" or a "myth", without
any scientific study supporting their claims. They say bras
are important for women to wear for support, without any
evidence showing bras are safe or necessary. They then
encourage regular mammograms, cancer prevention drug therapy
(not realizing that "prevention therapy" is an oxymoron), and
even preventative mastectomies (which means that those who are
high risk for breast cancer but who don't want to get it can
have their breast removed as a prevention strategy). Of
course, it is better to remove the bra instead of the breasts,
but bra removal is not a billable procedure.
Keep in mind that bras have been associated
with other health problems, such as headaches, numbness in the
hands, backache and other postural problems, cysts, pain, skin
depigmentation, and more. And lymphatic blockage, which is the
result of bra constriction, has already been associated with
various cancers. Clearly, the bra/cancer link needs further
research, while women take the precaution of loosening up.
Why the resistance?
What harm could there be in following our
simple advice, or in even researching this issue? Why the
defensive reaction?
There are three reasons:
1. The bra industry fears class action
lawsuits. Many insiders have admitted to us that for years the
industry suspected underwires were causing cancer. They know
that tight bras cause cysts and pain. It is only a matter of
time until a lawsuit is made against a bra manufacturer. As a
defense, the industry is shifting the blame to the customer,
claiming that most women are wearing their bras too tightly,
and should get professional fittings. (How do you get a
properly fitted push-up bra?) Breaking ranks with their
industry peers, and trying to capitalize on the bad news, are
several bra manufacturers that now offer newly patented bras
claiming to mitigate the damage, including cancer, caused by
conventional bras.
2. The medical industry is making billions
each year on the detection and treatment of breast cancer. As
mentioned above, there is a conflict between the prevention
and the treatment of disease, especially if the prevention
does not include drugs or surgery. The fact is that our
treatment-focused, profit-oriented medical system is making a
killing treating this disease, and has billions to lose if
breast cancer goes out of fashion along with bras.
In addition, the bra issue will
revolutionize the breast cancer field, embarrassing many
researchers. Breast cancer research to date that has ignored
the bra issue is seriously flawed as a result, which is why
the "experts" are still unable to explain the cause of over
70% of all breast cancer cases. Career cancer researchers who
have ignored the bra issue will have to admit this fatal flaw
in their work, which they are not inclined to admit in their
lifetimes.
3. Finally, there is the dogmatic, fearful
resistance from some women who find their personal identity so
connected to their bras that they would rather risk cancer
than be bra-free (which some women have actually told us.)
Women are cultural entities, and so long as our culture scorns
a natural bustline, many women will submit to the pain, red
marks and indentations, cysts, and even the threat of cancer
rather than face potential public ridicule (which never really
happens.)
There are also women who believe the myth
that bras will prevent droopy breasts. The bra industry admits
this is a myth, while it still promotes it to improve sales.
In fact, bras cause breasts to droop, as the breasts become
dependent on the bra for support and the natural supportive
mechanisms atrophy from non use.
Despite the resistance, however, some women
have gotten the message. And many health care professionals,
who have also suspected bras for years, are now spreading that
message. As women hear the news and discover that eliminating
the bra also eliminates cysts and pain, the news further
spreads by word of mouth.
There are now thousands of websites on this
subject, many from health care professionals including medical
doctors, naturopathic doctors, osteopathic doctors,
chiropractors, massage therapists, lymphatic specialists,
nutritionists, and others who care about women and helping end
this epidemic. Grassroots efforts to keep this information
alive and spreading have supplanted the traditional medical
research approach, which has disqualified itself for lack of
interest and conflict of interest.
When a disease is caused by the culture and
its habits, attitudes, fashions and industries, there is bound
to be resistance to change. Industries that contribute to
disease will be defensive, and industries that profit from
disease will be conflicted. However, the truth has a way of
getting out, despite the resistance and suppression. Thank
Goodness the truth does have a way of getting out.
