Episode 404: Know My Body, Know My Culture: Hispanic Heritage Month

Welcome to the Komen Health Equity Revolution series on Real Pink — where patients, advocates, researchers and community partners come together to talk honestly about what's standing in the way of breast health equity and what we're doing to change it. I'm your host, Adam Walker. This month is Hispanic Heritage Month, and we're honoring it by talking about something a lot of young women don't expect to be part of their story this early: Needing to have a mammogram as a young adult.

Our guest today is Yaleska Sosa, a senior at Northwestern University studying biological sciences and global health, and a Komen College Ambassador. During a routine appointment, doctors found a mass and referred her for a mammogram — an experience that, combined with her family's history of cancer, turned a scare into a mission: making sure other young women, especially in the Hispanic/Latino community, have the information she wishes she'd had. Yaleska, welcome to Real Pink.

Takeaway

• Breast cancer can affect people at any age, even those who consider themselves healthy.
• Knowing your body can help you notice changes and take action sooner.
• Family history and cultural experiences can shape how people understand their health.
• Sharing accessible health information can help young people feel more informed and empowered.
• One conversation or small act of awareness can have an impact beyond what we may ever see.

Chapters
00:01 — Yaleska’s unexpected mammogram

06:00 — Deciding whether to tell her mom

06:47 — Knowing your body and your culture

09:39 — Discovering the impact of breast cancer

13:55 — Encouraging young women to know their bodies

Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org

Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.