Gents, it’s time… you can shave the “stash”!
Although I’m clearly not a fan of mustaches and dislike them on most men, I am a fan of what the Movember movement stands for.
Movember is a global event celebrated throughout November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and lack of physical activity, among others.
The male population is widely known to seek out medical and psychological care less frequently than women, often visiting their doctor too late or bottling up emotions. To bring attention to these issues, men are encouraged to proudly sport a mustache during this month.
The Movember movement gained formal charity status in Australia three years after it began, subsequently expanding its roots worldwide. Since then, the Movember Foundation has raised $174 million across the globe.
The importance of Movember is signified by the increasing male morbidity and mortality rates globally.
Prostate cancer, for example, is the second leading cause of male mortality, affecting around 1 out of 8 men during their lifetime, especially at older ages. This disease tends to remain asymptomatic until the prostate becomes so enlarged that it begins to impact the urethra, which is why routine screenings are advised as of the age of 55 years in many countries.
On the other hand, testicular cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in men aged 18 to 39 years. Fortunately, this #disease tends to have a very good prognosis and is linked to great survival rates, mainly when detected at early stages. Because some of the initial manifestations of this condition are swelling, pain, or the presence of a lump on a testicle, all of which can be easily detected, young men are encouraged to perform self‑examinations on a regular basis.
The Movember movement is definitely encouraging the male population to be more aware of their health concerns and is reshaping the dangerous and outdated narrative that men should just “tough it out”.
Feel free to contact me if you need help translating texts about men’s health to or from Spanish, English, and Galician.
