#bOObs

#bOObs for Breast Cancer Awareness                                                                                                                                              Ελληνικά                Instagram               Español

Breasts, tits, hooters, boobs. Big, small, r o u n d , flat, whatever you call them and whatever the shape or size, they are there. The names are as varied as the appearances, but how much do we know about them, especially about the risks hidden below the seductive contours that we are used to being obsessed with?

#bOObs

#bOObs

What is #bOObs

#bOObs uses the medium of photography to raise breast cancer awareness in young women.

Through a series of gatherings and photo sessions, complemented by informative posts on social media, #bOObs helps women to get to know their body, embrace it and learn about breast health and self exams.

The purpose

Ask yourself, what do you actually know about boobs? What do you really know about breast cancer?#bOObs

#bOObs aims to break taboos and build awareness around the risks and prevention methods related to breast cancer, by showing real images of female chests and making them the centre of attention. The spotlight is on our boobs, we are showing them and we are talking about them.

The hashtag is used to spread the message and to disassociate the word from taboo topics. #bOObs is transparent – women expose their boobs so that the issue can be raised and so that more women can become aware of how breast cancer may affect them.

The conversation will be initiated with and by the women participating in the project, but it will also include the viewers – women and men alike.

Whose boobs?

The women posing for #bOObs have voluntarily exposed their boobs for breast cancer awareness; they are not paid models. They may or may not have been affected -either directly or indirectly- by breast cancer.

The boobs in the photographs belong to adult women, regardless of age, nationality, social status or medical history. Their identities are not revealed in the photos, because the project -just like the illness- is unbiased. Among them you will find your neighbour, your friend, your sister, your girlfriend, yourself.

Where?

The #bOObs project started in Greece, the photographer’s home country, where education about self breast exams and informative campaigns about breast cancer are relatively scarce. While this project started off with a local focus, it has also traveled to Spain and the photographer aspires to also raise awareness further abroad.

More about the cause#bOObs

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Approximately 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The World Health Organization estimates 2.1 million women being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, with 627,000 not surviving. Prevention is pivotal, but the key to successful treatment is early diagnosis.

Click here to find out more about breast cancer in Greece.
Click here to find out more about breast cancer in Spain.
Click here to find out more about breast cancer in the United States.
Click here to find out more about breast cancer in the United Kingdom.
Click here to find out more about breast cancer worldwide.

Breast cancer is about 100 times less common among men than among women. For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/about/key-statistics.html

   

About the photographer

Sylvia Kouveli has studied photography in Barcelona, Spain, collecting knowledge and receiving stimuli from a variety of professors. Her main area of interest is associated with people, whether it is portrait, street, or documentary photography, a person is often the protagonist.

The #bOObs photographic project idea does not originate from a deep, traumatizing personal experience. It is not an artistic expression of loss and pain; it is quite the opposite. It’s a healthy, happy dedication to friends and relatives with an invitation to learn more and do more in order to minimize the risks and take action towards prevention.

Habitually involved in charity and volunteer activities, Sylvia Kouveli wants to bring the charity factor into the #bOObs photographic project. She has participated in various charity events such as the WWF CN Tower Stair Climb (Canada) and the Barcelona Garmin Triathlon (Spain) raising funds for the Fundació Vincent Ferrer to help young women in India continue their education; she has donated her hair via Donate Hair to kids who have undergone cancer treatment or suffer from alopecia, and she is currently a volunteer member of PhotoAid Greece, a volunteer organization that promotes NGOs and other philanthropic groups.

Sylvia believes that we need to be more open about our body. When it comes to boobs, talking about them as just another body part can become challenging due to the fact that we’re accustomed to associating them with femininity and sex. Their sexualization in the media does not help either, as we are rarely exposed to a neutral image of boobs. Sylvia hopes that #bOObs will be visually compelling and engaging for its participants and audiences and that it will achieve its goal to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Do you want to find out more about the #bOObs project? Check out these blog posts: