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Related Experiment Videos

Breast self-examination: do religious beliefs matter? A descriptive study.

Ali Montazeri1, Mehregan Haji-Mahmoodi, Soghra Jarvandi

  • 1Iranian Centre for Breast Cancer, PO Box 13185-1488, Tehran, Iran. ali@jdcord.jd.ac.ir

Journal of Public Health Medicine
|July 10, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Most Muslim women find breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) by male physicians permissible within Islamic beliefs. However, regular practice of breast cancer screening remains low.

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Public Health
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Investigates beliefs and practices of Muslim women in Tehran, Iran, concerning breast cancer screening modalities.
  • Addresses the intersection of religious beliefs and healthcare practices in a specific cultural context.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the perceptions of Muslim women regarding the compatibility of breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) with Islamic principles.
  • To assess the current practices of breast cancer screening among this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive study design was employed.
  • A specially designed and validated questionnaire was administered to 410 Muslim women.
  • Data collection focused on beliefs and practices related to breast cancer screening.

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Main Results:

  • 90% of women affirmed that breast self-examination (BSE) does not conflict with their religious beliefs.
  • 58% preferred examination by a female physician, but 47% found clinical breast examination (CBE) by a male physician religiously acceptable.
  • Only 6% of respondents engaged in regular monthly breast self-examination (BSE).

Conclusions:

  • The majority of Muslim women perceive breast self-examination (BSE) as religiously permissible.
  • Religious beliefs do not appear to be a significant barrier to clinical breast examination (CBE), even by male physicians.
  • A notable gap exists between perceived permissibility and actual practice of regular breast cancer screening.