The scenes in a new campaign from nonprofit GirlvsCancer may make some viewers uncomfortable—and not just because the women in them are talking about cancer.
In perhaps the most provocative ad, a woman named Ava reveals her diagnosis of breast cancer. She describes going through radiotherapy, then struggling with issues of egg freezing and hormone blockers. Meanwhile, she’s thinking something she couldn’t say aloud to her doctor: “I’ve got cancer. I deserve the wickedest slam.”
Over the course of her monologue, Ava reaches climax.
“Some people will find this uncomfortable, and we’re fine with that,” said Helen Rhodes, executive creative director of BBH London, the agency behind the campaign. “We want a strong reaction, for people to talk about this.”
GirlvsCancer’s campaign addresses two taboos: cancer and female sexuality. While it is still rare to see candid depictions of women’s sexuality on screen, it is even rarer for that topic to come into the cancer discussion.
The organization, whose work centers on erasing stigma and supporting those facing cancer, wants to change that. It highlights the statistic that 60% of women with cancer say they experience sexual dysfunction.
“What people don’t look at when they think of cancer is all the nuances. It doesn’t just impact the body; it impacts your sense of self and all the things that make a fully formed human, including sex and intimacy,” said Lauren Mahon, founder of GirlvsCancer. “Sex is a huge part of the human condition. Everyone deserves to feel love and intimacy and pleasure.”
When Mahon was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, at the age of 31, she said she grappled with the same fears about treatment and healing as others in her position. But feeling isolated, she also worried: “I’m single and on [dating app] Hinge. How am I meant to re-enter the world of dating?”
GirlvsCancer’s campaign gives voice to experiences like those, subverting the typical narratives about cancer.
Deliberately provocative
Two years in the making, the campaign’s bold tagline is: “Cancer won’t be the last thing that f*cks me.”
Billboards with the line alongside close-up shots of nude women will run across London. Photographer Katie Burdon captured the images.