Australian women pose topless in 'Tits out for the girls' breast cancer screening photoshoot

More than 100 gutsy women in northern Western Australia are baring it all for their health. Standing tall next to a massive boab tree without their shirts, these women hope to bring awareness to more breast cancer screen services in regional WA by participating in the “Tits out for the girls’ photo shoot. In Australia, one woman under the age of 40 is expected to die each week from breast cancer.

The “Tits out for the girls” photo shoot happens every few years in Kununurra, organized by Kununurra photographer, Sarah Duguid. She stressed the need for more screening services and expressed concern about the potential oversight of mammographies due to the extended period between screening visits and the limited duration of specialist equipment in town.

The Western Australian Health Department’s BreastScreen van currently visits Kununurra and Wyndham every two years, staying for several weeks during each visit. While about a hundred rural towns boast a similar biennial service, Broome benefits from an annual visit by a specialist screening bus, and Albany and Bunbury host permanent mammography clinics.

“It’s a wonderful service but it doesn’t stay long enough. People are actually getting breast cancer within that time period,” said Ms. Duguid, emphasizing the urgency of the matter. She further underscored the collective stance of the women, stating, “We want to stand together for the women in all rural communities.”

Ms. Duguid aspires that the attention-grabbing “Tits out for the girls” photo shoot will not only raise awareness but also prompt an annual visit by the BreastScreen bus, ensuring more consistent access to vital screening services for women in regional areas.

According to the CDC, nearly 42,000 women in the U.S. die from breast cancer each year and Black women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than all other women.