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You Can't Even Say It: Breast Cancer & Stigma in Pakistan

Daneeya Sheeraz
Jan 124 min read

The harrowing diagnosis, followed by gruelling treatment, and lastly a life-saving mastectomy, just to be told by your husband that you have “become a man”, or to now have to live under the constant fear that he will go and marry another woman. And if you’re not yet married, to live with the fear of not being able to find a husband. 

Such is the reality of thousands of Pakistani women who not only have to shoulder the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, but if it turns out to be breast cancer, she must also shoulder the burden of shame and secrecy.

Due to a heavily patriarchal and conservative society, women in Pakistan are taught to be ashamed of their body, and tiptoe around topics pertaining to it, lest they make too much noise. Contrary to popular belief in the country, this stigma stems not from respect and privacy of the female body, but from over-sexualisation of it. If we truly respected women and their bodies, we would do all we could to ensure their health. Even the word “breast” is unspeakable, despite breast cancer killing around 40,000 women a year in Pakistan, and the country having the highest rate of the disease in Asia. Additionally, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of carcinoma in the country.

As a result of stigma, 89% of breast cancer cases in the country are diagnosed in the late stage, wherein chances of survival are low and treatment is intense.

Not only is there a lack of education and awareness revolving around breast cancer because silence is preached, women are often ashamed and hesitant to seek treatment. Part of the reason for this is the misconception that a breast cancer diagnosis means a mastectomy, when oftentimes, if the cancer is detected earlier, surgery is not required. 

Furthermore, social discrimination creates a greater burden for women undergoing treatment. Gulnaz Ayaz, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, told DW that, "Instead of showing concern about my health, my husband taunted me for losing hair. He never visited me at the hospital during my treatment. Then one day, while I was being treated, my husband decided to divorce me. That was during the first year of my treatment, and he left me to deal with the disease alone." She also recounted that her in-laws treated her with insensitivity and cruelty. 

Most of the time, particularly in more rural areas, the ticket to a visit to the doctor is a male family member, as he will provide transportation and money. However, many women are uncomfortable bringing up the subject with male family members, and are forced to stay silent until the cancer makes them too ill. By then, it is often too late for effective treatment.

Women in Pakistan are also hesitant to go see a doctor. During a study to find factors associated with breast cancer in Pakistan, Zunaira Shoukat and Ali Javed Shah found that many barriers to seeking medical care were a product of discomfort around doctors. For example, many people said that they were embarrassed to go see a doctor, were scared to see a doctor, found their doctor difficult to speak to, and were worried they would waste their doctor’s time. It is clear that embarrassment and communication are obstacles in the path of seeking medical treatment. 

Superstition and misconceptions also play a role in people’s aversion to seeking proper diagnosis and treatment. For example, during a study carried out in a Karachi hospital to determine prevalent myths about breast cancer in Pakistan, the results found that:

  • 47.5% of participants believed that breast cancer could be healed by faith healers and alternative medicine. 

  • 63.4% were under the impression that biopsy and other diagnostic procedures would increase the spread of cancer.

  • 31.8% thought that breast cancer was God’s curse, and 38.7% thought that it was a result of getting the evil eye.

  • 76.6% believed that breastfeeding would completely prevent breast cancer, and never thought they would be at risk of developing it.


Breast Health Global Initiative shows that breast cancer is often easier to diagnose and manage at its earlier stages if people have proper awareness of what to look out for, and to have regular checkups. As part of Zunaira Shoukat and Ali Javed Shah’s study, they also found that 43.7% of Pakistani women did not check their breasts for telltale breast cancer signifiers, like lumps. The majority was not even aware that this was something they should be doing.

There is a lack of awareness and education relating to breast cancer in the country. This is in part tied to stigmatisation. Due to the hesitation to discuss breast cancer, there are few media campaigns and public education initiatives that raise awareness. Barriers preventing women from seeking care for and learning about breast cancer go hand-in-hand with stigmatisation, embarrassment, and shame; a woman’s body is to be kept under wraps, an object of shame and lust. Oftentimes, this sentiment can become fatal.

Private initiatives like Pink Ribbon Pakistan are working toward spreading awareness for breast cancer, pushing the disease into the public eye, and have even set up the country’s first-ever hospital dedicated to breast cancer. 

Nevertheless, there is a long way to go. We must dissipate that stigma and shame surrounding breast cancer, particularly in places of rural and lower socio-economic backgrounds, to be able to spread awareness, increase access to medical care, and potentially save thousands of lives. 

 



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