Haredi women are dying of modesty and living in a ghetto of silence.

The death rate among Israeli Haredi women from breast cancer is 30% higher than in the general population. This, despite the fact that the rate of haredi women diagnosed with breast cancer was 70% lower than secular women, according to various studies.

In Haredi society, speaking of breasts and other female body parts is immodest.

So they aren’t spoken about.

This means that Haredi women have fewer breast exams and mammograms are not routinely done and too many women do not learn that they are ill until they are dying.

Ruth Colian of B’zchutan, the Haredi women’s political party says:

I cannot bear that there are women feeding their children, cooking, working, cleaning, etc. going through life, unaware that they will be dead in a month. And for no reason! Early detection gives options and saves lives. We deserve better. My daughters deserve better.”

When being interviewed on a Haredi radio station, she began to speak about breast cancer awareness. The interviewer raised his voice and said. “If you speak of immodest things, I will end the interview!”

Read full article in The Times of Israel.