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An advert has been banned for suggesting a bra could reduce the risk of breast cancer. We’d love to say we were joking.
The bra, sold by online retailer Lemongrassrice, appeared in a Facebook ad in April. The advert displayed a small image of the product, alongside an X-ray image of a breast.
Text below the image read: “Reduce the risks of breast cancer.”
The ad also contained a series of green tick boxes, claiming the bra offered an “ergonomic design” and had an “easy front closure”, alongside an oh-so-infuriating heart eyes emoji.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint from a healthcare professional specialising in breast health, who challenged whether the claim was “misleading”. ASA banned the ad from appearing again.
“Lemongrassrice did not provide any evidence to show that the bra could reduce the risks of breast cancer,” ASA said. “We concluded that the claim ‘reduce the risks of breast cancer’ had not been substantiated and was misleading.”
For anyone who needs a reminder, the medically-approved ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, having a low intake of saturated fat and limiting alcohol, as advised by the NHS. Your underwear has nothing to do with it.
In fact, Rachel Rawson, a clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, previously told HuffPost UK there is no reliable evidence to support the urban myth that bra underwire is linked to breast cancer.
Lemongrassrice Ltd did not respond to the ASA’s enquiries. HuffPost UK has also contacted the company for comment and will update the article if we receive a response.