Movember happens each November, where men around the world help to raise awareness and funding, while working towards a cure for many of the top male-related cancers, mental illness awareness, and suicide prevention. While they focus on all cancers affecting men, those cancers with the most facetime are prostate and testicular cancers.
Movember shares numerous statistics and information including the average age of death in males is six years before that of women (Movember). The reasons that this statistic is made to be true are mostly preventable and fixable, as well. When men take charge of their health and lives, they too can live longer, healthier and more exuberant fulfilled lives. For men to take full control of their health, Movember recommends that they:
- Spend time with those who make you feel good and positive. Stay connected with your friends as those relationships are important for your path to healing.
- Talk and listen more. “70% of men say their friends can rely on them for support, but only 48% say that they rely on their friends.” In other words: we are here for our friends, but worried about asking for help for ourselves. Reaching out is crucial. No experts are needed for this step.
- Know the important numbers! Learn and remember the ages in which you should be checking in with your doctor for different tests and screenings. Some men should begin checking in at age forty-five, while many others will begin these tests at age fifty.
- Know your nuts! Take the time to get to know your testicles and check them regularly! Ask your doctor to show you how to properly check over your balls to know when something feels or looks off.
- Get up and move!Add more activity to your day and leave the stagnant, seated life behind. Exercise can come in many forms and can be done in your everyday action. Park further away from your work building to walk a bit farther. Ride your bike to work, or schedule your next work meeting outdoors, and walk around while you talk.
There are many ways that men can join this supportive cause. The main method is to stop shaving your facial hair in the month of November! You can officially sign up for this cause on the Movember website or can simply join the cause on your own. The purpose of this action is to start conversations about why men are not shaving and are left with uneven stubble, or facial hair. This conversation then spurs the sharing of information about men’s health and cancers!
Did you know that each day, one male dies by suicide every minute of every day? Movember is aware that the topic of suicide is taboo and often unspoken, which is why their focus is to bring it out to the light and end the stigma of mental illness and reaching out for help. Movember lays out their plan to reduce these suicide rates by twenty-five percent by the year 2030. Here is part of their plan:
- Education. Movember is helping men and boys to stay mentally healthy, build strong social connections and act early when times are tough.
- Conversations that matter. They are working toward a world where men and boys are comfortable having conversations about the big things in life.
- Services that work for men. They know the needs of men, and they are working to make sure that services are designed with those needs in mind.
- Bright minds brought together. They are funding the most innovative projects, and when they know something works, we share that knowledge globally.
- Community first. They know that men need to be able to access support in their communities and where they are comfortable. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
- Advocating for all men. They are encouraging governments to understand the issues that men are facing, and they are demanding action.
So, what are you waiting for? Join this year’s Movember movement by growing out your facial hair, joining the sixty-miles walked or run in the month, create your own local group of guys and raise funds together to help this amazing organization working hard to promote and educate on men’s health and cancers!
Citations:
Movember.com (all information from the Movember website if for informational purposes only; we do not own this information. Visit their website for more information.)
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