Everybody Has Boobies By Dr. Robyn Roth

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide; meanwhile, having conversations about breasts remains stigmatized. One physician is working to change this perception: Dr. Robyn Roth. She observed numerous late diagnoses throughout her career as a breast health radiologist. Dr. Robyn Roth emphasizes that cultivating healthy breast habits necessitates raising awareness well before puberty. In her forthcoming children’s book, Everyone Has Boobies! Roth provides an educational, easygoing, engaging, and empowering book for parents and children.

Dr. Roth asserts that the book is empowering because initiating conversations about breasts at a young age ensures that, by adolescence and adulthood, examining and understanding them becomes habitual. The book aims to establish healthy habits through education, promoting behaviors that may prevent future breast cancer, encouraging self-awareness, empowering children, fostering open communication with parents, and clarifying that breast cancer affects not only older women but also younger individuals and men.

“When I was young, I felt very uncomfortable with my developing breasts. No one ever talked to me about them, and it just kind of happened, and I just felt self-conscious about it my entire life,” said Dr. Roth. I think a lot of young girls feel that way, and I am a mom of three kids, also a breast radiologist, so they see that we all know some sort of way about our breasts, especially at that young age. We're never really educated properly on our private parts, because there's a lot of shame, so we carry that with us throughout our lifetime, and I knew I needed to change the conversation.”

Dr. Roth came up with the book title, “Everyone Has Boobies,” since that was the name she called breasts her whole life. The phrase was originally cute for the radiologist, but it became a central component after working as a breast radiologist, and family members were affected by breast cancer. Roth’s family health background also prompted her to start a platform called the “Booby Doc,” she found as a way to talk about breast health in a fun, less-intimidating way.

“My grandma always called breasts boobies growing up, and that's kind of how we lovingly referred to them. Later in life, I became a breast radiologist because breast cancer has always been something very important to my family, and I call myself the booby doctor to my kids,” said Dr. Roth. “And that's why I chose to use the title of my book because, at the end of the day, it's a children's book. I wanted to be playful, age-appropriate, and fun.”

Although Dr. Roth is talking about breasts, we're talking about breast health and more serious topics.

She used real anatomical terms in the book, but still wanted to catch people's attention; therefore, she made it silly, fun, authentic, and playful. Dr. Roth knew there were books about breasts, but there weren’t any children’s books about breasts since it’s a taboo topic. She knows many don’t like talking about it, but health professionals need to talk to kids about it at a young age.

“So my first book was really targeting young kids. You know, when kids are breastfeeding, they're always pointing to their mom's food. You know, they're obsessed with breasts, and that we need that curiosity kind of early on, because we're told not to talk about that, but we’re keeping the curiosity alive,” said Roth. “It allows young kids to ask questions. I thought the book was really targeted towards younger kids, but it’s really tweens that really enjoy it the most because, again, no one's ever asked them about breasts. If it was, ultimately, it was uninviting. So they're using it as a way to ask questions they would previously have felt uncomfortable asking, before reading the book.”

Dr. Roth also included her three kids in the creation of the book, as characters. Her 11-year-old is slightly embarrassed about her mother writing a book about breasts, Dr. Roth said, but knows her kids are proud — with their friends talking to Dr. Roth about the book. With all the positive feedback, Dr. Roth plans to expand the series to cover different life stages to empower children, and foster body confidence.

“Most of the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Parents say this is a book they didn't know they needed. Everyone from grandparents, doctors' offices, to breast cancer survivors. These people are really using the book to talk about breasts in a non-threatening way, which hadn't been done previously,” said Dr. Roth.

“And the thing that they have been saying is that the questions afterward are really the sweet spot, that's where the conversations are happening. So this is really just a conversation starter for a more serious topic. Kids will ask all the questions that they want. Now they've been invited in, and now you know, they're coming to us with really thoughtful questions that they've probably been holding on to for years.”

“Everyone Has Boobies” is available online for consumers, but Dr. Roth’s ultimate goal is to present the book to schools because it can be an integral part of boys and girls' health.

“I think if we could teach that level of body confidence and self-love early on, it will be beneficial for the next generation. You're educated on your own body, and what you know, what your boundaries can be for your different body parts, but if you’re not having conversations with kids, the lines can get blurred,” said Dr. Roth.

“I want nothing more than for this to be a series of books that help young kids grow up and learn to love their bodies.”

To get your copy of "Everyone Has Boobies" by esteemed breast radiologist Dr. Robyn Roth visit Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and to learn more about breast health check out her podcast, The Boobie Docs.