New advice is to be put on all Asda’s own-label sanitary products encouraging women to check their breasts regularly.
Regularly checking your breasts and being aware of any changes is crucial to catching breast cancer early. That’s why Asda has announced that it will encourage more women to be their ‘breast friend’, through new health advice to be printed on all of its own-brand sanitary products.
As part of Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign, which has been raising awareness and funding to tackle breast cancer for over 20 years, all of Asda’s own-label tampons, towels and liners will carry a message encouraging women to check their breasts regularly, potentially saving more women’s lives. The move will see Asda become the first producer of sanitary products to carry a voluntary women’s health message on its packaging.
The supermarket will also be donating £25,000 each to charities Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now as a result of sales of the products.
The message will start to be seen in Asda stores from July, as existing stock is sold through, and will be on the products permanently.
In a blog about Asda’s longstanding support for Tickled Pink, Asda’s National Community Manager Emma Gittoes said: “Sadly we know that some women are still getting diagnosed with breast cancer far too late and that regular breast checks could help avoid this. My mission this year is to get this message out there at every opportunity – to encourage women to do regular breast checks and to seek advice from a GP as early as possible.”
The announcement was made by MP and women’s health campaigner Paula Sherriff, at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health Conference in Westminster. Speaking at the event, Paula Sherriff MP said: “I’m delighted that Asda is putting this public health message on its own brand packaging. This will encourage women to take action and will save lives”.
Samia al Qadhi, CEO of Breast Cancer Care, said: “We wholeheartedly welcome Asda’s decision to print health advice on their own-brand sanitary products, encouraging women to check their breasts regularly. Spreading the word about the importance of breast checking in this way could save lives, as knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer can lead to diagnosing the cancer sooner.
“We are delighted that Asda will be making a donation of £25,000 to Breast Cancer Care in addition to their continued generous support through the Tickled Pink partnership. These funds will help us to continue to support and make a positive difference to the lives of the thousands of people facing breast cancer in the UK.”
Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “We are greatly encouraged by Asda’s new initiative to print breast health messaging on own-brand sanitary products. The earlier breast cancer is found, the better the chance of beating it – so it’s incredibly important that all women are equipped with the information they need to check their breasts regularly, to be breast aware and know what’s normal for them. This announcement is a very positive step forward to ensuring that this important information is available to women in an accessible way.
“The generous support from Asda’s colleagues and customers is absolutely vital to Breast Cancer Now. Thanks to the £25,000 donation through the sale of these products, and the continued support of the Tickled Pink partnership, Breast Cancer Now can continue to fund world-class breast cancer research, to stop this devastating disease taking the lives of those we love.”
