Siyavuya Mzantsi
IF you see “Mo Bros” with long moustaches this month, don’t be surprised. It’s Movember – that time of the year where millions of men grow long moustaches as part of a campaign to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.
Movember, a play on November is an annual campaign in 21 countries around the globe, to “change the face of men’s health”. It first started in Australia in 2003.
Since the beginning of this month, men or Mo Bros, have been encouraged to take part in the campaign by growing mustaches as part of highlighting men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer as well as men’s mental health and physical inactivity.
The Movember Foundation says globally there is still a stigma around diseases that affect men and often men don’t talk about issues they experience, which has an impact on early detection and essentially life expectancy.
The foundation aims to create a world where men don’t need to suffer or succumb to diseases which are preventable or manageable if detected early enough.
Movember encourages men to become Mo Bros (supporters of the campaign) by signing up on www.movember.com.
The rules require each Mo Bro to start clean shaven and then to grow and groom a moustache for the entire month.
By growing a mo, and encouraging others to do the same, Mo Bros engage in conversation around the often ignored issues of men’s health.
Founder and executive officer of the Men’s Foundation Garron Gsell says the theme for this year’s Movember campaign is ‘Shaped by Experience’, with the underlying message that if individuals chose to live well and follow a healthy lifestyle, and pay attention to health and the warning signs, they could help shape their future.
With the support of their partners or Mo Sistas, Movember is driving the message that early detection is key, annual health checks are vital, along with a monthly testicular self-examination which can help note any changes to the body.
In South Africa, Movember is administered through the Men’s Foundation which holds the licence agreement for the campaign.
The Foundation has partnered with the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa), the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) to formulate local programmes.
The programmes are aimed at supporting men and to take the burden of care off of the governmental health system.
“We know mental health is an integral part of health – indeed there is no health without mental health. By partnering with SADAG this year, we are able to extend our reach to male mental health issues which have been a focus for our global territories for a number of years,” said Gsell. “
“We hope to challenge the idea that a ‘strong’ man is the only way to be ‘manly’ and challenge the notion that men talking and showing emotion is ‘weak’,” he said.
This year the Movember Foundation has also added an additional aspect to the month-long campaign, the option to sign up to MOVE. When signing up on the Movember website, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas can choose to make a commitment to Move for the 30 days of Movember.
The Foundation said studies have proven that incorporating more exercise into daily routine has many benefits and often makes a person feel better, more energised and could possibly add years to a life.
The commitment to MOVE includes anything from a daily brisk walk or taking the stairs instead of the lift, to surfing, cycling, swimming or anything that gets the heart rate up.
“By adding even the smallest amount of physical activity to your day, you are investing in your health and improving your chances of living a happier, healthier and longer life.
“The Movember Foundation believes that growing old is mandatory and staying young is optional, and we want to encourage men to get more active for the sake of their well being,” said Gsell.
The Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences said international statistics suggest that black men have double the risk of developing prostate cancer compared to men from other population groups.
As part of Movember, the university unpacked the most common cancer affecting South African men to see who is at risk and see what they could do to stay healthy.
“Until we have good statistics in South Africa, we should assume that black men have double the incidence,” said urologist Dr Kenneth du Toit from Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Tygerberg Hospital.
He said prostate cancer was the most common cancer among South African men, yet few actually die from the disease.
“If they live long enough, most men will develop prostate cancer, but only a small group, with a more aggressive variant will end up dying from it – and those are the ones we must find,” said Du Toit. Prostate cancer was described as a silent disease and does not have early symptoms.
Prostate cancer was described as a silent disease and does not have early symptoms.
When it is far advanced and difficult to treat will the patient complain of difficulty to urinate, or blood in the urine, erectile dysfunction and back pain. “By the time you experience these symptoms, the cancer has already spread – that’s why screening is so important,” says Du Toit.
“If we diagnose the disease early on, there is a greater chance for cure and fewer side effects related to treatment.”