Cultural Stigma and Media Voices: Understanding Breast Cancer Representation in India

Abstract: Now a days the breast cancer is a major health concern for women, with low levels of awareness and early detection leading to poor outcomes. This research explores the media representation of breast cancer in Indian society to bring awareness to the cultural stigma and role of media in becoming a voice and the support of the women. As breast cancer is not just a medical condition, but a complex social phenomenon influenced by cultural, religious, and emotional factors, so the study also includes the role of family support, religious beliefs, and cultural contexts. This research underscores the necessity of integrating sociocultural perspectives into healthcare policies and practices to enhance the well-being and resilience of breast cancer patients with the help of media. This quantitative study aimed to investigate the role of mass media in promoting breast cancer awareness and knowledge among women, using the theoretical frameworks of the Health Belief Model and Democratic Participation theory. A diverse group of women with non- scientific background aged 18-50 were surveyed, with over 200 respondents collected in a university in Mumbai city. Findings showed that while mass media could be effective in raising public health awareness, and digital media could be more effective than traditional media in providing knowledge and promoting self-examination practice and a critical tool for early detection in addition, education level is also a responsible factor. These findings suggest that targeted digital media campaigns may more effectively promote awareness on breast cancer. Though the finding shows that the involvement of media as well as government’s intervention is less, but the self-awareness is growing in urban areas. Thus, this paper clearly highlights the challenges being faced by women and enhancement of their sociocultural condition in Indian society. Based on obtained results, this research underscores the pivotal role of mass media in combatting breast cancer awareness gaps among women and the implementation of focused digital media campaigns can present a promising trajectory for bolstering breast cancer awareness and can take proactive detection initiatives. Apart from that, the educated females prioritize their personal health care and can lead a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, educated women are more likely to adopt healthy habits and contributing to better overall health outcomes. Keywords: Breast Cancer, Culture, India, Media, Society, Public Health Awareness, Knowledge, Breast Self-Examination, Self-Health Consciousness