Breasts

And after a dismal afternoon waiting for an opportunity to observe how a mammography is performed, it makes me question, why are breasts considered private parts? It is the one big reason why it is so difficult for male medical students to observe the procedure.

Well, I always wondered why females should have an 'additional' part to be considered private part. It is fair that both the female and male genitals are considered private; my guess would be it probably originating from the first sin in Genesis 3. I read through Genesis 3 again to look for any evidence.

"He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.""(Gen 3:10)
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." (Gen 3:22)

Actually there is no mention of the extent God clothed Adam and Eve, so all that we picture about leafs covering both their privates were probably an influence of European Renaissance art, which also happen to feature breasts in full view, most of the time.



Back to the question: So why are breasts 'private'? My guess is now probably because breasts can be viewed as sexual 'objects', to be desired by men.

"May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer -
may her breasts satisfy you always
may you ever be captivated be her love." (Proverbs 5:18-19)

In the context of Proverbs 5 warning against adultery, the 'satisfaction' derived from a wife's breasts should refer to a pure intimacy and desire of a wife's total being within the union of marriage. But as we all know very well, with news articles of rape every other day, man is not born pure and this desire has been perversed (if there's such a word). And so probably, breasts may be best kept private to protect women from being victims of crime and to protect men from being tempted to sin (or does it really?)

But still, calling to all females out there, if 'exposing' your breasts can facilitate a medical student's learning, I would appeal to you to consent. Not that I'm saying observing a mammography will make a student the best breast surgeon in Singapore, but it is part of the learning of the entire process of how the imaging is done before the report gets back to the surgeon. And it is not like medical students camp in the mammography clinic everyday to observe 1000 mammographies. We've got better things to do and spend our time on. My last point is, God gave you breasts, so protect them well, but be proud of it. 'Feeling uncomfortable' is not the best reason to reject a student when we are not even asking consent to touch your breasts, but to observe the procedure of a mammography - not even to observe your breasts per se. And it's not like there are 100 medical students observing your mammography. It's usually 1, at most 2, so what's there to be embarrased about? But this point probably has the least credance, simply because I'm not a woman.

For all you know, the next GP who sees you in the clinic may miss a lump in your breast while doing a clinical breast examination for you, because he has simply laid his hands on and palpated less than 3 breasts in his entire medical school training. Yea there are models and everything, but they hardly come close to what breast lumps in reality may feel like. And if you ask, "Why should I be the one to consent?" Then think about the consequence if every single woman thinks this way.