“If We're Ill, We Can't Mother”: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of the Barriers Preventing South Asian Women from Undergoing Breast Screening

The under-use of early detection strategies for breast cancer among South Asian women is becoming a major concern for health professionals. According to published reports, Black and Asian women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United Kingdom have poorer relative survival rates than white women ( Gathani et al., 2014 ). The purpose of this qualitative study, informed by Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, is to examine breast health practices from the perspective of South Asian women living in North West England. Focus group discussions were conducted with a sample of South Asian women who met regularly at a Lancashire school to improve their English. The analysis of the data generated by the focus group discussions focused on the language used to talk about breast cancer and identified discourses relating to taking care of one's health, accessing services, opinions about a woman's calling, and beliefs about cancer. It is hoped that these findings may provide a foundation for the development of culturally suitable breast health services for this group.