Saturday, May 16, 2009

The Theft of the Anatomically Correct

I am a nice little old Christian grandma. However, part of my job is to spread awareness of various cancers and ways to prevent and/or detect them. Hence, the following sad story.

Late in April, I was invited to attend a health fair at a high school which has a science fair the same evening. This results in a lot of attendees from the community, as parents and grandparents come to see their child or grandchild's science project. I set up my display with literature about breast, ovarian, prostate, testicular and skin cancer. I also have two anatomically correct models. One is a model of a breast with lumps in it, so that women can practice the correct way to do a self breast exam. The other is a model of testicles.
Testicular cancer is a young man's disease. It usually happens between the ages of 15 and 35. Just as women should do self breast exam each month, so young men should do self testicular exam once a month. This is done in a warm shower so that the scrotal sac is relaxed. The man should roll each testicle between his thumb and fore fingers and feel for any lumps. The testicle should be smooth.
The models were out on the table next to the appropriate literature. At one point in the evening, I was helping someone at one end of the table teaching the correct way to do self breast exam. I glanced at the other end of the table. The testicular model was gone. Someone stole my testicles!
Of course, I have no difficulty imagining that in a roomful of people there was at least one teenage boy who simply couldn't resist the urge. That is why when I go to such events, if I need to leave my table, I put the model back in the box and out of sight. But, I was standing right there. Apparently someone seized an opportunity while I was distracted.

I can only imagine what they are being used for....my best guess is that they are dangling from a rearview mirror.

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