Every November men across the world put down their razors and let their facial hair flourish in support of men’s health. We take a look at why this is such an important issue for men around the globe.
Movember is an annual event that involves growing a moustache for the month of November, to raise awareness for men’s health and encourage those all-important conversations.
Back in Australia in 2003, two friends wanted to bring back the Moustache and get men talking about their health. Since then, the Movember movement has grown into a world wide foundation, encouraging men to talk about issues they usually keep to themselves. The moustache is a distinct facial feature, and is often a source of amusement, and has become a recognisable emblem for this cause.
For generations men have become conditioned to view any vulnerability or emotion as weakness, and societal expectations often discourage men from seeking help, leading to them bottling up their health worries or struggles with mental health. Movember helps to normalize these discussions by providing a platform and encouraging men to speak out about their health concerns.
Movember challenges the stigma around men’s health and encourages men to seek the help they need as a sign of strength.
The Movember movement has been key in raising awareness and funds to combat the health challenges men face, especially around Prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide. Men are more likely than women to suffer from a variety of serious health conditions, which can sometimes be due to delays in talking to a health professional.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), men often have a lower life expectancy than women, which is driven by factors such as higher suicide rates, work-related stress, and lifestyle. Societal conditioning has always been that men stand strong and carry on, but the modern world no longer caters for this attitude. Men’s issues need to be addressed just as women's do.
In Bristol there are many men donning the ‘tash’ in honour of this month.
Alex Ward (26), who was sporting a trimmed dark moustache, said, “I’m doing this for my uncle really. I know men aren’t good at talking about their feelings, and I don’t know that much about prostate cancer, but I’m doing it to support him, cause I know it’s been hard.”
Giving an insight into his Movember involvement, 45-year-old Darryl Wilson said, “My granddad died when I was 12, and it made me want to be super vigilant about my health as I got older. I’m part of a men’s group and we discuss so many different topics, including men’s health. I find it so supportive. I’ll always be in support of Movember.”
Movember creates a unique sense of community. It is men supporting men and women supporting men, bringing them together in a united front. Through fundraising events, discussions, and even just growing a moustache, all can foster a feeling of support, allowing men to feel a part of something bigger than themselves. These collective experiences can remind men that they are not alone and that they can lean on the community in times of difficulty.
Movember has become a quirky tradition and due to its success in helping foster important conversations, I think we will see this event coming round annually for a long time into the future.
If this article has made you wonder how at risk you may be to prostrate cancer, then why not take the official test to "Check Your Risk" on the Prostrate Cancer UK website.
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