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Infographic. It is time to support breast health for female athletes

bjsports · 2026-02-11 · canonical JSON source

4 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Breast health has only recently been formally acknowledged by the International Olympic Committee as a key domain of female athlete health, listing issues such as breast tenderness, pain, trauma and injury.1 Yet, breast injuries lack a standardised taxonomy for injury surveillance.2 Among these, contact breast injuries (CBIs) remain under-reported, under-recognised and under-represented in sports medicine research.1–4 Between 26% and 60% of female athletes have reported experiencing CBIs, particularly in combat and contact sports such as rugby codes, softball, Australian football and water polo.2–4 Despite breast-related issues negatively affecting performance,3 5 most (>70%) female athletes continue to play.4 A high body mass index, large breast size and player position have been identified as risk factors for CBIs.2 3 There is a need to support evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of breast injuries4 and to develop standardised return-to-play protocols.