That was the beginning. More than nine months ago, Smith quit his job as an Army personnel administrator to devote himself full-time to the Men's Crusade Against Breast Cancer. While disinterest is a large obstacle to involing men, Smith says embarrassment is also part of the problem. Men usually think of breasts in sexual terms. They often have a hard time talking about private parts of female anatomy.
Many women are also reluctant to welcome men into a battle they have fought for so long.
Last year, Smith attended the annual meeting of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and was surprised to find only three other men among the 350 delegates attending. He says he often felt he had to earn the respect and trust of the women he met. Frey agrees that many women question men's motives. Though my family has not been touched directly by the disease, I have a wife and mother who are very important to me. Swain, who is now on the crusade's steering committee, hopes that women and men will come to appreciate the many important roles men can have in supporting and educating women about breast cancer.