Editor 's Note : Reese Witherspoon , the Academy Award-winning actress , is honorary chairman of the Avon Foundation and is employed by Avon Products as its global ambassador . Reese Witherspoon says she wants to banish the myth that young women are not at risk for breast cancer . ( CNN ) -- Every three minutes in the United States , a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer . As a woman , a mother , and a daughter , I find that statistic terrifying . I was never naïve about breast cancer , but hearing this statistic put it all into perspective . Women close to me have battled the disease and are now soldiers in the greater fight against it . But the moment I heard `` every three minutes , '' I felt vulnerable and scared as I realized that anyone is susceptible . The only way for me to ease my fears was to take action . I needed to educate myself and others on this disease . As the Honorary Chair for the Avon Foundation , I had resources at my fingertips . I had access to an entire organization that is dedicated to giving back to women and educating people . So I started asking , `` What do I need to know ? '' It was through that curiosity that I found out the most important fact in breast cancer : Early detection saves lives . According to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade , there is a 97 percent five-year survival rate when breast cancer is caught before it spreads to other parts of the body . When breast cancer first develops , there are usually no symptoms , which is why women need to perform self-exams regularly and contact their doctor upon noticing even the smallest change . Of course talking about breast cancer and breast health is a personal thing . I too am a private person but encourage all women to break through their reservations and talk to their doctors and physicians . We must also banish the myth that young women are not at risk for breast cancer . At the Avon Walk in Washington , I met young survivors who were diagnosed in their 20s , an age when most women are graduating from college and just starting their lives as full adults . Watch Reese and Larry at the Avon Walk » . Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam by a health professional at least once every three years and women 40 and older should have an exam every year . I am passionate about fighting this devastating disease . I fight for my mother , myself , my children and future generations of women , so one day we will not have to be afraid of breast cancer . I began my fight by learning important first steps in breast cancer detection , and will not end my fight until every woman can stand together saying we are breast cancer free . More than anything else , I have faith -- faith we will find a cure . I saw this commitment in the faces of the women in Washington -- in the faces of the women walking and the women and men who stood on the sidelines encouraging the 3,500 participants to the finish line . I was cheering right along with them , screaming for action to find a cure . Avon 's next walk will take place in New York City on October 4 and 5 .
`` Every three minutes '' statistic made Witherspoon feel `` vulnerable '' and `` scared '' Oscar-winning actress : Young women are not exempt from the disease . Witherspoon emphasizes importance of early detection and regular screenings .