28-Year-Old Explains Why She Choose Double Mastectomy Even Though She’s Cancer-Free
A 28-year-old woman is going viral for her radical decision to get a double mastectomy and remove her breasts, despite being cancer-free.
Stephanie Germino of Tampa, Florida opted for the surgery after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, a mutation that’s linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
It’s not just the mutation that worried Germino either, but her family’s history of breast cancer.
According to The Sun, Germino said, “I was already aware there was a history of breast cancer in my family as my maternal grandmother suffered with it twice.”
She added, “For me personally, I never really loved my boobs, and I never saw them as a sign of femininity . . . so it wasn’t really a difficult decision to have the double mastectomy.”
According to the cancer education platform Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, the average woman has around a 12.5 percent chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. But those with the BRCA1 mutation like Germino has have an increased risk, at 65 percent.
While some people who undergo a double mastectomy get implants as part of a breast reconstruction, Germino decided to embrace her flat, nipple-free chest and use her new body to raise awareness about the BRCA1 mutation.
Now 29-year-old Germino is about one year out from her operation and regularly shares topless pictures and videos on Instagram and TikTok.
