October is breast cancer awareness month, and that means an overload of pink merchandise and reminders to donate to breast cancer research. This also means the overwhelming amount of shirts, bracelets and even water bottles begging us to “Save the Boobs.” There is nothing wrong with supporting research for breast cancer, but a problem arises when a foundation exploits women and their bodies for the cause.

According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer over their lifetime. If the only reason our society decides to commit resources to research is because breasts- not the whole person attached- are in danger, then we need to take a step back and analyze a woman’s purpose in our society. I understand that the “Save the Boobs” campaign serves to grab attention, but it does so to the detriment of women. When they sell shirts saying, “big or small, save them all … save the ta-tas,” they send the message that people should only save women for their breasts instead of trying to save the women, period.

These companies exploiting and sexualizing women distract us from their actual mission. When we see a ribbon, we assume the company’s main purpose serves to increase awareness and funding for the cause and not to make a profit. However, some companies, including Save the Ta-Tas, focus more on making a profit and take advantage of the pink ribbon symbol. This has become such an issue that a group called Think Before You Pink’s sole purpose is to spread awareness of companies who misuse the symbol. They allow consumers to go online and see exactly what a company does with the profits so they can make informed decisions.

TBYP’s mission should be something we take notice of and work to apply to our own lives. Broadly speaking, acting with intention and thought makes every decision have an impact. We should ask ourselves if we buy pink ribbon products because we legitimately believe the research and lives saved is worth our time and money. If the product received is simply the fringe benefit of our dedication, then the sensible option would be to research the impact of our purchase and ensure that a company uses the profits to do impactful philanthropy.

Supporting companies that not only invest in cancer research, but do so in an ethical manner, extends the effect of our purchase. Rather than just supporting research, we can take part in reducing the sexualization of women as a whole, especially women diagnosed with breast cancer. According the American Cancer Society, the number of women who die from breast cancer has declined in the past couple of decades due to increased awareness, detection and funds for research. This number can continue to come down, as long as we start to put our support in the right places.

Samantha Rudelich is a junior majoring in 
management. Her column runs biweekly.