Movember: Changing the ‘Face’ of Men’s Health

Nov 1, 20224 min read

It is November 2003 and friends Travis Garone and Luke Slattery are having a pint in Melbourne, Australia in November. Little did they know at the time they were about to start a movement that would change the face of men’s health for the better.

A conversation about old fashion trends brought to light the rise and fall of the mustache. The two joked about bringing facial hair back, and after a few beers, decided to talk their friends into growing a mustache, or “mo” as they called it.

Inspired by a friend’s mother who was fundraising for breast cancer, the two created a campaign centered on men’s mental health as well as two forms of cancer specifically affecting men: testicular and prostate cancer. That year, 30 men took up the $10 challenge to “grow a mo” and kick-started Movember, a movement and charity that has since funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world.

But why focus on these three aspects of men’s health? Globally, 10.8 million men are currently facing a prostate cancer diagnosis with 1.4 million men being diagnosed each year. One in eight men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and though the survival rate is hovering around 78%, there were over 12,000 deaths from the disease between 2017 and 2019 in the UK alone. At greater than 90%, the odds of survival for men in the UK with testicular cancer are incredibly high, but there are plenty of long-term treatment-related side effects that severely compromise the mean quality of life in survivors. In global mental health, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day. These are all sobering statistics, and yet the importance of getting checked for prostate and testicular cancer as well as the societal taboo surrounding men’s mental health is rarely talked about.

On average, men are dying a whopping five years younger than their female counterparts.

“It’s our hope that we can connect men with the right support and equip their peers with the confidence and skills to reach out and help when it’s most needed,”

Brendan Maher, the Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at Movember.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK, while testicular cancer in the UK is the most common cancer in the 15-39 age range. Tools such as Movember’s Nuts and Bolts and Know Thy Nuts campaigns aim to help men know the signs and symptoms of testicular and prostate cancer early, and Movember’s SpeakEasy workshops are sparking powerful conversations, normalizing challenges, and encouraging help-seeking in men around the world. The Noisy Movement will be hosting its own open-mic night in this vein on December 4th, all proceeds going to The Samaritans.

Ben Channell was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2019. “I have been growing a Mo since Movember started and [I] supported it every year,” he said in an April interview with Movember’s In the Barber Chair publication. “It was during Movember while raising money in 2018 that I felt that I should check myself as wouldn’t it be ironic if I had it and I hadn’t even checked! I can truly say that Movember saved my life.”

Despite his self-proclaimed inability to grow facial hair in any meaningful way, Luke Jones, another Movember supporter based in the UK, challenges the status quo by speaking up about mental health and his struggles with depression and anxiety:

“At 21, when I realized that my professional sports career was over before it had really started, I attempted suicide. This happened a few times, but I never really wanted to die, I just wanted the pain to end and I couldn’t see another way out.”

Thankfully, through talking with friends and sharing his story, Jones is working his way toward healing:

“I’d love to say that the suicidal ideation has gone away, but it’s more something that I’ve learned to manage. The feeling passes in the end, and that’s comforting because it shows me that I better understand my emotions now than I did 12 years ago. It sounds so cliche, but honestly, it’s as simple as knowing that no matter how bad things are, they can and often do get better.”

There are many ways to support the Movember movement and charity, either through raising funds, donating once or in recurring installments, or attending and hosting local Movember events. This year, Cornwall Fire and Rescue are taking on a 24-hour dance marathon at the end of their shift on the 26th of the month. Anthony Hoyte, a “Mo Bro” since 2019, is cycling the streets of London to create a giant GPS-tracked “Mo Bro” portrait.

The beauty of supporting the Movember movement is that you don’t have to be a “bro” to make a difference. Guys, gals, non-binary pals, and everyone in between can support the Movember charity year-round and participate in the Movember movements throughout the month of November however they see fit. Fond of your facial hair? Download the Movember App and “Grow a Mo” to raise awareness. More into physical activity? Run or walk 60km over the month to represent the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour, and raise funds for the Movember charity. If you'd like to participate in a more free-range event, come to our Noise 4 Boys event!

Hoping to host instead? Rally your friends and find something you love to do like cooking a fancy meal or beating your friends at MarioKart and collect donations for the Mo-ment. You can even “Mo your own way” and create your own Movember Mission.

Whatever you grow, however you “mo”, your actions will help fund important and life-changing work in mental health and suicide prevention as well as prostate and testicular cancer awareness and research. What will you do to support your local “bros” this Movember?

Visit UK.Movember.com to learn more about the Movember movement, charity, and how you can get involved.

Are you or a loved one suffering from mental illness? To speak to someone immediately, contact NHS 111 on 111 or contact Samaritans, a judgment-free listening service, on 116 123. If you think someone's life is in immediate danger, call 999 or go directly to emergency services.

Resources

Movember: Changing the ‘Face’ of Men’s Health

Recent Posts

Comments