CoppaFeel! Check your boobs or pecs

“CoppaFeel! was founded in 2009 by Kristin Hallenga and her twin sister Maren after Kris was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at the age of 23. Kris was unaware that breast cancer could affect people in their twenties and knew very little about the disease.”





Chances are that, throughout your life, you have heard about breast cancer. Whether you had it, someone in your family, a friend, or just heard about it through social media, breast cancer is the most common cancer, especially amongst females. However, many of us don’t have enough information about it or know how to check our breasts.

CoppaFeel! is a charity that aims to change this and give everyone the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer. If found early, the cancer is very treatable and survival rates are higher. Although rarer in younger people, there is still a chance that it can happen.



All genders can get breast cancer, as we all have breast tissue, and only less than 10% are caused by a family history. In the UK, only women from the ages of 47-50 will be invited for a routine breast screening, and those only happen every 3 years. About 1 in 7 women will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime and around 400 men are diagnosed every year, hence why it is so important that you check your boobs/pecs often and properly.

However, being “breast aware” – as CoppaFeel! puts it – and developing a regular checking routine doesn’t happen from night to day. Practice is the key to mastering it. But CoppaFeel! is here to help. Their website provides extremely useful tips on how to self-checkout and checking leaflets, that will sure be a helpful guide on how to make sure you are doing it properly. These guides come in English, Arabic, Bengali, Punjabi and Welsh, to make sure it is accessible to more people.



CoppaFeel!’s message and activity are meant to reach everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, ethnicity and perspective. All information on their page is accessible and they make sure to include their community in the way they spread information. From sharing tips from someone in the community on how to check #HowICoppaFeel…



To their patrons…



And Uni Boob Teams…

CoppaFeel! makes it so that information and resources are easily available to those wishing to learn, especially young people.

And best of all is that there are several ways in which you can help out and raise both awareness and money for them and their mission.

Their Uni Boob Teams are made up of wonderful student ambassadors who spend their time shouting about boob-checking and raising funds at their university. UAL currently doesn’t have one, but if you are passionate about this, we encourage you to get in contact with the SU and create a UAL Boob Team. You can learn more about this on the CoppaFeel website.



You can also support them on your own. Whether you’re in a RAG, part of a society, or just want to support the charity, CoppaFeel! encourages you to get in touch with them and talk about the different ways you can do this. This can also be by raising awareness. Spread the information leaflets around your uni, talk to your hall to have these posters put up in the flats or rooms, your voice can and will make a difference.



CoppaFeel!’s website has a lot of different resources, and we encourage you to take a look at them, as it’s never enough to know what you can do to make sure you are healthy. You can also look at some of their talks and stories or share your own.



And remember, if you ever have any questions or need any help regarding your health, you can always contact UAL’s Health Advice Services.