Because according to a state-wide ‘Getting a Grip’ report only 15 per cent of women in Australia fulfill four key criteria: awareness, knowledge, confidence and behaviour.

This includes women in Moree.

McGrath Foundation CEO Petra Buchanan said results of the McGrath Breast Health Index were both alarming and hopeful.

“Alarming because the number of women who scored highly for all criteria is low, but hopeful because the research provides clear direction for future education.

“Improving breast awareness among young people, particularly women, is a key part of the McGrath Foundation’s vision.

“We like to say ‘if you grow them, know them!’ With the amount of information available about breast awareness, it’s easy to assume that women have a high, and accurate, understanding of their breast health,” Ms Buchanan said.

The most common criterion met was ‘awareness,’ with 73 per cent of Australian women believing themselves to be somewhat or very breast aware.

Of the women who consider themselves breast aware, three in 10 did not recognise being a woman as a risk factor and four in 10 did not recognise growing older as a risk factor.

“Potentially there is a substantial number of women who believe they are breast aware, are confident in their ability to recognise changes, are checking their breasts for changes frequently  but are armed with incorrect information about what actually causes breast cancer,” she said.

Of the four criteria comprising breastpertise:

To find out more Google the McGrath Foundation.