Men's Health Changing the face of men's health begins with starting a simple conversation
Let’s face it - men are known to be a little more indifferent towards their health, especially when compared to the efforts of women, who proactively and publicly address their health issues in a way you don’t typically see with men. As a result the levels of awareness, understanding, funding and support of male health issues, like prostate cancer, lag significantly behind causes such as breast cancer.

The reasons for the poor state of men’s health in the Canada and around the world are numerous and complex and this is primarily due to a lack of awareness of the health issues men face. This can largely be attributed to the reluctance of men to openly discuss the subject, the old ‘it’ll be alright’ attitude. Men are less likely to schedule doctors’ appointments when they feel ill or to go for an annual physical, thereby denying them the chance of early detection and effective treatment of common diseases.

Studies show that many men don’t get regular health checks for the following reasons: Fear it will lead to a hospital visit Embarrassed to discuss their health issues Find it too hard to see a doctor because they just can’t fit it into their schedule Just can’t be bothered making an appointment Statistics show that, on average, men die at a younger age than women – the average life expectancy for men is five years less than women (presently 77 compared to 82). That said, despite trailing behind the women’s health movement, things are beginning to look brighter, but much more progress needs to be made to close the gap between the state of men and women’s health. Established taboos and barriers relating to men’s health are gradually being broken down.

Movember aims to change the face of men’s health and reverse this way of thinking by putting a twist on this serious issue. Using the moustache as a catalyst, we want to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to talk about their health more openly.

Movember's primary campaign objective is to raise awareness of men's health issues, specifically cancers affecting men. We want everyone to know that most cancers are highly curable if caught in the early stages - including prostate and testicular cancer. Movember aims to increase early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment, as this will ultimately reduce the number of deaths from cancer.

 

More info: http://www.movember.com/m/2113516