Let this Fact sit with you for a moment: “Men will die on average 4.5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons. This means that it doesn’t have to be that way: we can all take action to live healthier, happier and longer lives.” This quote is taken straight from the website of the international men’s health awareness campaign Movember. As it is Movember awareness month we decided to give a bit more info on how to help with men’s physical and mental health.
Prevention is better than the cure
The Movember campaign runs internationally across continents, making a huge difference in men’s lives worldwide. The campaign can be summed up nicely as “Prevention is better than Cure”. Think about it for a minute. If our men took just a few moments to check out the Movember website this year, they would take the first giant step towards improving their lives, furthering their own health outcomes, and increasing their lifespan by an average of 4.5 years. They have pretty stunning figures. Movember has been brilliant at directing funding where it is needed most worldwide to make a massive difference to men’s health, how much we know, funding new treatments, and how accessible it is. Movember has contributed to research projects around prostate cancer and is now widely available.
How Movember is helping awareness
The top 5 health issues around men’s health in the developed world are being addressed by the Movember campaign. They are Prostate Cancer, Suicide Prevention, Testicular Cancer, Mental well-being and Being a Man.
Prostate Cancer
As men age, they are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Early detection increases survival rates immensely. If you’re over 50 years old, you should start chatting with your GP about PSA testing (a simple routine blood test). Start this conversation at 45 years old if you have a family history of prostate cancer. Bit of background info: Only men have a prostate gland. The prostate gland is usually the size and shape of a walnut and grows bigger as you get older. Prostate cancer occurs when some of the cells in the prostate reproduce far more rapidly than normal, resulting in a tumour. You’re in trouble when these cells don’t get detected early and start spreading to nearby tissue. But that’s preventable by early detection. You’re in control.
Testicular Cancer
This type of cancer affects young guys; in fact, it’s No1 cancer among young men. The good news is that it’s highly treatable and curable. And you can improve early detection by checking yourself once a month. Movember has created Nuts & Bolts, and here’s a handy video to help you.
Men’s Health and Suicide Prevention
Life can be good; life can be tough. Life is all about figuring out each day for itself. It’s normal to stumble and come across seemingly us; life constantly has ups and downs. You are not alone. Women are good at talking; most men will be able to testify to this. Men, for some reason, don’t reach out as much. Men also feel they carry more weight on their shoulders. They feel responsible for family finances, a steady income, and the rock to lean on, and thus feel under pressure always to work things out.
Give yourself a break, be compassionate to yourself, and allow yourself the space in life to figure Believe in yourself and in your ability to work things out together. Never think your worry is too small to mention or not worthy of discussing. Your loved ones would always rather hear from you and know how you’re doing than not. It’s always good to talk. Visit the Movember website for direct access to help.
Not sure where to start? Show the man in your life this video and see if they want to participate.
