A new year of advocacy ✨ |
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Hello everyone, Happy February. We hope your year has been off to a good start! At BISA, we've begun our year with gratitude. Despite the challenges, we believe in the power of advocacy. We're looking forward to making a positive impact with our incredible team in 2024. Here's a quick update on recent happenings. |
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MEET THE TEAM Say hello to our newest advisor, Siham Azahaf! |
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Dr. Siham Azahaf, a Ph.D. candidate at Amsterdam University Medical Center, specializes in systemic symptoms in women with silicone breast implants. She’s committed to uncovering beneficial medical insights — especially a biomarker for breast implant illness. |
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LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS Policy in progress (behind-the-scenes). |
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FDA ANALYSIS Key takeaways. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewed its database of medical device reports (MDRs) concerning breast implant illness/BII. The most common symptoms in the 9,458 reports include: fatigue, joint pain, anxiety, brain fog, autoimmune diseases, hair loss, depression, rash, headache, and weight changes. Systemic symptoms began at 5.4 years on average. In 87.5% of the reports, which were received over a period of 15.5 years, breast implant removal led to symptom improvement. |
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GET INVOLVED For Oregon locals. On March 23, our treasurer Sherri Gorbett will represent BISA's advocacy platform as Mrs. Bend 2024. She'll be featured in the beauty and fashion show, where she'll educate attendees about BISA's work. |
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Yesterday, Sherri's interview with host Dave Clemens aired live on five radio stations. You can listen to the discussion here: Inside Central Oregon. |
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We're proud to support Sherri as she spreads awareness about breast implant safety in the region! If you're interested in volunteering at the event, please email her directly. Keep an eye on our Events page for more. |
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Thank you for reading. This year, we'd like to focus on our collaborative efforts to promote greater understanding for patients and consumers. That being said, we're always open to hearing from organizations and medical professionals who may be interested in working together. What are you focusing on this year? If you'd like to share, respond to this email. We'd love to hear from you! |
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P.S. BISA is a 100% volunteer organization. We greatly appreciate your kind words and financial support to keep our efforts going. Your tax-deductible donations make sure patients' voices are heard where the profit-driven industry often dominates. We appreciate you! |
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