Did you know men can get breast cancer? You might be aware, but it\u2019s not something you hear much about, because it\u2019s an uncommon occurrence. You certainly don\u2019t see government agencies or health advocacy groups promoting awareness or recommending measures for prevention or early detection.<\/p>\n
So, why does the federal government recommend daily sunscreen use for dark-skinned individuals? It\u2019s an important question that means more to us as tanning business operators and sun care professionals. If the government is telling African Americans to apply sunscreen every day to prevent skin cancer, when rates are so low in that demographic and overwhelming evidence shows that the rare occurrences aren\u2019t at all related to sun exposure, it seems fair to consider if they have a grasp on the reality of the conversation about UV exposure and health at all.<\/p>\n
In May, Dr. Adewole Adamson, a dermatology professor at the University of Texas, called the federal government\u2019s recommendations for black-skinned individuals to wear sunscreen \u201cnonsensical,\u201d making the comparison with breast cancer in men.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public health messages promoted by many\u00a0clinicians\u00a0and\u00a0public health groups regarding sunscreen recommendations for dark skin people is incongruent with the available evidence,\u201d Adamson wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedia\u00a0messaging\u00a0exacerbate the problem with\u00a0headline\u00a0after\u00a0headline warning that\u00a0black people can also develop melanoma\u00a0and that blacks are not immune. To be sure, blacks can get melanoma, but the risk is very low. In the same way, men can develop breast cancer, however, we do not promote mammography as a strategy to fight breast cancer in men.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all understand that federal government agencies like the CDC should be presenting factual information as they make public health recommendations. Yet this, unfortunately, doesn\u2019t always appear to be the case. Just like the government\u2019s recommendations to avoid eating eggs and to swap margarine for butter, their recommendations on sun exposure is outdated and well off the mark. While fighting for the rights of Americans who chose to visit professional tanning salons over the years, I’ve witnessed the different levels of absurdity coming from the federal government\u2019s sun-care messaging. A few examples of the government\u2019s misguided sun-care recommendations came about through some unlikely sources \u2013 dermatologists.<\/p>\n