Monday's medical myth: wearing a bra to bed increases your risk of breast cancer

Abstract

Women's breasts are seen in society as symbols of femininity, fertility and sexuality – so are the many different styles of bras worn to support, enhance and protect the mammary glands.

Many women wear bras to bed to support large, painful or nursing breasts. Others just want to counteract any sagging. But can these decorative pieces of clothing, or the underwire, cause health problems such as cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women. More than 12,000 women each year are diagnosed with the disease, with the overall risk estimated at one in nine.

Most women will meet someone during their lifetime who has been affected by the disease and its treatment. So it's easy to see why women may be anxious about the risk of breast cancer.