October is a month that is strongly associated with the Pink Ribbon – the Swedish Cancer Society’s annual campaign dedicated to raising money for research and spreading knowledge about cancer. One issue that the Swedish Cancer Society is continually pursuing is early detection and diagnosis – two of the most important factors for increased cancer survival. In the light of this, Apotek Hjärtat has enlisted the help of the market research firm Sifo to take a closer look at Swedes’ habits when it comes to examining their own bodies.

Great lack of knowledge among men

The result shows that more than half of Swedes (54%) do not check their bodies for lumps or changes. The most common reason they fail to do so is that they quite simply forget (48%). A fourth responded that they don’t feel it is important (26%), which is also the most common reason cited by men.

On the question of whether they have knowledge about how to examine their bodies, two in five responded no (41%). This knowledge gap is greatest among men, where six in ten (58%) respond that they lack knowledge.

“Both men and women should examine their bodies regularly – so they know how it feels and looks, and in such way can detect any changes,” says Annika Svedberg, Chief Pharmacist at Apotek Hjärtat. “It is alarming that there is still such a great lack of knowledge – mainly among men – about how to do this and why it is important.”

Get to know your body in the shower

It can be hard to establish a routine for new habits. One memory trick can be to associate your self-exam with a specific situation. A good occasion for going over your body is when showering – when your clothes are off anyways and your skin is slippery. To encourage new habits Apotek Hjärtat has created a sticker that is affixed to shower products in its range as a reminder to soap everywhere – from the chest/breast area and armpits down to the genital area – to get to know your body and thereby be able to detect any changes.

The stickers are provided on selected products in the range starting at the end of September.

Four tips for examining your body

• In the shower is a good start, but don’t forget to check your body in front of a mirror, too. In this way you can see any changes in skin colour, or if your breasts or scrotum have an unusual shape.
• While you are doing this, take an extra look at any birthmarks to see if they have changed colour, shape, or have started to itch.
• Having trouble remembering to check your body? Set a reminder in your mobile phone – once a month is a good starting point.
• Remember – most lumps are not cancerous. But if you find something that you are concerned about, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.

For more information about how to examine your body, visit. https://www.apotekhjartet.se/tvala/.

The survey’s results in brief

• More than half of Swedes (54%) answered no to the question of whether they check their bodies for lumps and changes, as signs of a potential illness. This is most common among men, where 64% say they do not examine their bodies, compared with women (44%).
• Of those who answered that they do not examine their bodies, 48% said they forget, 24% indicated they don’t know how, and 6% said that they neglect to do so out of worry and anxiety for what they might find. Twenty-six per cent answered that they don’t feel it is important for them, which was the most common reason cited by men (37%).
• More than two in five Swedes (41%) feel they do not have enough knowledge about how to examine their bodies. This knowledge gap is largest among men, where six in ten (58%) responded that they lack sufficient knowledge.
• Forty-nine per cent answered that they feel it is hard to establish a routine for checking their bodies for lumps and changes.

About the survey

The survey was conducted by the market research firm Sifo under assignment by Apotek Hjärtat. It is based on 2,503 interviews among the Swedish public nationwide. The data was collected from 8-15 September 2020.

For more information

ICA Gruppen press service
Telephone number: +46 (0)10 422 52 52
apotekhjartat.se. icagruppen.se