by Kimberly Stanley

Created on: January 18, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

We have two huge problems in this society. One is that everyone likes to think that larger breasts are better on women. The other is that insurance companies in particular like to think that if a woman is getting plastic or reconstructive surgery that it must strictly be about appearance and that there's no way a woman could want breast surgery for medical or health purposes. I find this mentality crude and misogynistic. It's about time someone really brought this to the forefront of crimes against women's health, because that's what it is.

Men like them, and many women get implants for that reason. Therefore the women who suffer neck and back pain, the inability to breathe comfortably because of the sheer weight they cart around everyday, the inability to participate comfortably in daily activities, and the inevitable rash that appears at the attempt of living normally goes unheard. It is also crucial to mention the mental anxiety caused by constant badgering by the chauvinists of the world, and the sexual harassment that seems to find large breasted women because of the stigma that goes with large breasts; and that is that those women must be "easy". No woman deserves this kind of treatment for something she cannot help. And certainly no woman deserves to go unheard by her insurance company because of their prejudices about women who desire reconstructive surgery.

When a woman goes into her initial consultation for this surgery she is sized by her surgeon. Then, pictures are taken of her breasts (for the insurance company) at different angles to show how large they are and how they weigh her shoulders down. Women are invariably shrugging in these photos, because that's what they are used to doing as a result of the weight of their breasts. These pictures should be enough to show insurance companies that the procedure is not intended for cosmetic purposes. Of course her confidence will be a 100% better, and of course she will be excited about buying clothes that will actually fit her, but the proof is already in the photos that a woman is suffering back pain and literally, an unbearable weight on her shoulders.

There are women that are denied breast reduction assistance by different insurance companies two, three, and even four times. A case of all the things a woman has suffered over time should not have to be built for a medical and painful condition. Other people seeking other surgeries for painful conditions do not need to go through all this hogwash for the relief of their symptoms. It's about time insurance companies started taking women who suffer from large breasts seriously. It's about time women with large breasts were given the right to reclaim their health and their bodies.

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