Each year during November, men around Australia and the world, sport an array of moustaches that can be described as weird and whacky. This is all in an attempt to bring awareness to the health issues that men face. It’s really important to raise this awareness, and begin the conversation, because too often men have an attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ which can be quite damaging to their health. Given that in Australia, the risk of being diagnosed with testicular cancer by age 85 is 1 in 2181 & that 1 in 5 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 852, men’s health is definitely worth talking about. Just as importantly to note, one in eight men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives3. Depression is a high risk factor for suicide, which is something that claims the lives of too many men each year in Australia. It’s a health crisis that isn’t being talked about because of the stigma that still surrounds men talking about how they’re feeling. Men are dying too young, before their time and the Movember Foundation4 is doing something about it, and they need your help. Men and women alike, can join the movement and help support the Movember Foundation.
The most obvious way to support Movember is by growing a moustache and raising funds, However, if this is something that you cannot do (looking at you ladies), you can use the month of November and make it a month where you move more towards a specific goal. Moving is easy. Set a distance goal that challenges you, and then walk, run, cycle, swim or row towards it. Move a little or a lot, solo or in a team. It’s not about being the fittest or the fastest, it’s about havin’ fun, doin’ good, by raising funds along the way5. Do something good for you, while doing something great for men’s heath. The funds you raise will stop our sons, partners, brothers, fathers and friends from dying too young. To find out how you can be involved in Movember, click this link https://au.movember.com/get-involved/move
1 http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/testicular-cancer.html 2 http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/prostate-cancer.html 3 https://www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/men 4 https://au.movember.com/?home 5 https://au.movember.com/get-involved/move