November has been relabelled to Movember since 2003 and is a movement that started with just 30 participants. This year – some 15 years later Movember has growth to an incredible 5 million plus mo bros and mo sisters!
Movember is a movement that was started by two mates – Travis Garone and Luke Slattery – who decided that the mo had all but disappeared from the Australia psyche and it was time to bring it back! Inspired by a friend’s mother who was battling breast cancer, the two mates were able to enlist another 30 who were willing to donate $10 for the privilege of growing a mo! The guys then researched men’s health issues and agreed that Prostate Cancer was their cause to support.
The cause has quickly grown over the last 15 years and is now the leading charity tackling men’s health issues head on, including prostate and testicular cancer, mental health issues and suicide prevention.
To date Movember has funded more than 1200 projects focused around men’s health issues. So, how do we encourage the guys in our life to focus more on all aspects of their health?
In a report published by the Australian Psychological Society it was noted that while men’s health had improved substantially over the previous 50 years, Australian men still had a much lower life expectancy than women. On average men die six years younger than women and for reasons that are largely preventable.
Men are also at higher risk of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts given that they are less likely to have conversations with people who are close to them. On average one in eight men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some state in their lives*.
We need to start encouraging the men in our lives to take action and live a healthier, happier and longer life!
Movember recommend the following five top things to know, and do:
- Make man time
Stay connected. Mates are important and spending time with them is good for you. Catch up regularly, check in and make time - Have open conversations
you don’t need to be an expert and you don’t have to be the sole solution, but being there for someone, listening and giving your time can be lifesaving. - Know the numbers
At 50, talk to your doctor about prostate cancer and whether it’s right for you to have a PSA test. If you are of African or Caribbean descent or have a father or brother with prostate cancer, you should be having this conversation at 45. Know your numbers, know your risk, talk to your doctor. - Know thy nuts
Get to know what’s normal for your testicles. Give them a check regularly and go to the doctor if something doesn’t feel quite right. - Move, move, move
Add more activity to your day. Do more of what makes you feel good.
– Take a walking meeting
– Park further away from work or the train station
– Get off the bus or tram a stop earlier
– Take the stairs instead of the lift
– Cycle to work instead of driving
Want to know more? Websites such as au.movember.com have loads of great information.
Is this a field that interests you? AIFL offers many certificate courses in the allied health sector. Click here to find out more
*Source Beyond Blue
