Why men's health is important to talk about ... and why we don't

There is an epidemic occurring with our boys and men that we need to talk about. Most men don’t talk about their feelings, or their health. Traditionally, we have expected certain characteristics of our men in Australia. Often boys learn from an early age that they shouldn’t talk about their fears, problems or feelings. That may be a stereotypical thing to say. It may be old-fashioned in thought, but there is a whole movement out there that would suggest it’s also true.

Movember is a lot of things

It’s a month that most women either fear, dread or absolutely love. When the men in our lives choose the one month of the year to give growing a mo a crack. The styles and lengths are as varied as our men. Me? I’m lucky, I suppose. My man already has a mo. All. Year. Round. But does this sudden, month long, growth movement, actually get us talking and thinking about men’s health?

Have you had a mo-ment?

Raise a hand if you’ve ever donated to the cause… or taken part? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

While I’ve donated to our CEO Ryan’s Movember fundraiser, I must admit the extent of my conversation with him about it so far has been, “wow, look at that mo”. Not really ground-breaking or life-changing. But it did get me to write this blog. 

As Movember says, “growing a mo is like wearing a symbol representing healthier men and a healthier world, all Movember long. It shows everyone you walk past that men’s health matters to you.” And it should matter.

We can't afford to stay silent

We should be talking about our men and their health. The Movember website says that “our fathers, partners, brothers and friends are facing a health crisis, yet it’s rarely talked about. Men are dying too young.” Why are we not talking about it?

My dad, while not young, is facing a challenge of his own, prostate cancer. Stage 5. I am certain that if he had been more active in checking up on his health, and not ignoring some warning signs, he could have caught it much sooner. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men over 45, but early detection is key. Fortunately for us, dad is still here, surviving, but others aren’t so fortunate. If you’re worried about a man in your life, make sure you reach out to them and check in. 

Find out more here: https://au.movember.com/men-s-health/prostate-cancer

It's mental

Compared to women, men visit the doctor less often, have shorter visits and only attend when they are really, really sick. A more staggering stat is that in 2021-22, only 12% of men saw a health professional for their mental health compared to 22% of women. 

So it’s a good thing the purpose of Movember goes far beyond the physical and into the mental. There are a multitude of resources on their website that are worth a read, especially “How to talk to someone about their mental health”. There are some scary stats on their site too that make you realise what a big deal Movember is and why we need to keep the conversation going about our men and their mental health in particular. 

And while you don’t want to “half-arse” (as Movember puts it), it actually doesn’t have to be a big deal to check in on someone, but it can make a BIG difference. The simple act of checking in, asking how they are, can change someone’s life path. I love this quote, because it’s so true, “You never know what someone is going through. Be kind. Always.” 

Read up on men’s mental health and what Movember is doing to help.

Get moving for Movember

Movember is about focusing on prevention, early intervention and health promotion. If asking how someone could prevent something terrible from happening, wouldn’t you want to do that? And according to experts, one way to reduce the stigma around men’s health is to get men talking to other men. Enter Movember and why it’s so important to start talking as well as growing that mo.

How you can help

Check out the Movember website for a number of ways that you can show your support. Here are just a few:

1. Donate to someone’s fundraiser (... like Ryan)
2. Grow a mo
3. Host an event
4. Start a conversation with a man in your life about their physical or mental health

Surely, if we change a whole month’s name, we just might be able to change the world.