Commission for Women urges screening, support during breast cancer, domestic violence awareness months
The Montgomery County Commission for Women is encouraging residents to take part in two awareness observances this October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In its statement, the commission noted the disease’s effects reach beyond the physical, often affecting emotional well-being, families and daily life.
“Early detection and access to care can make a meaningful difference, but so can the steady support of a community that listens, uplifts, and stands together,” the Montgomery County Commission for Women wrote in a statement
“By learning, sharing resources, and showing compassion, we can help ensure that every person affected feels supported and empowered,” the statement said.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month highlights how early detection can significantly improve survival rates. The observance also focuses on education, support for those affected, continued research into treatment and a cure, and efforts to eliminate disparities in care.
The American Cancer Society estimates about 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in U.S. women in 2026, and about 42,140 women will die from the disease.
About 1 in 8 U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and the disease accounts for roughly 30% of all new cancer diagnoses in women each year. An estimated 2,670 men will also be diagnosed.
Disparities remain. Breast cancer diagnoses in Black, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native women are more likely to be metastatic than diagnoses in white and Asian American and Pacific Islander women. Overall, breast cancer deaths among women fell 44% from 1989 through 2022, though the decline has slowed.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which began as a national “Day of Unity” in October 1981, organized by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The event was meant to bring advocates together to raise awareness, share resources and strengthen efforts to end domestic violence.
The statement urged anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out for help, noting that “abuse thrives in silence, and calling for help breaks that silence, opening the door to safety, support, and hope.”
The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Day of Unity grew into a weeklong observance. By 1987, October was officially recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and in 1989, Congress passed a law making the observance an annual tradition. Today, the month is a time to honor survivors, remember those lost to domestic violence and encourage communities to act to break the cycle of abuse.
Domestic violence includes physical violence, economic and psychological control, and sexual abuse. Its consequences can cross generations and last a lifetime.
The problem is widespread. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 10 million women and men experience domestic violence in a year, and intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline, citing the CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, says 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive more than 20,000 calls.
