MOVEMBER – Changing the face of Men’s Health
As November rolls around, you get to see a whole lot more facial hair in your community. Since 2003, the eleventh month of the year has been dubbed Movember as men stop shaving and let their moustaches and beards flourish.
The worldwide Movember movement had its origins in Melbourne, Australia in 2003. Movember is an event that promotes awareness for testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and men’s mental health. It spread across Australia and then went international.
There are now official Movember campaigns in twenty one countries. More than one billion dollars has been raised in support of men’s health. The scope of the Movember Foundation has increased to incorporate the following: Prostrate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Poor Mental Health and Physical Inactivity. Movember is changing the way research happens into men’s health and the way health services help transform lives of men. Movember is now the world’s leading non-profit organisation changing the face of men’s health.
In addition to personally growing a mo in Movember, you can help to shine a spotlight on another issue that is rarely talked about — suicide. Every hour, an average of sixty men commit suicide worldwide. As part of the Movember month activities, thousands of men walk or run sixty miles over the course of the month to bring the issue of male suicide to light. Another way to bring attention to the issues supported by the Movember movement is to be the host of a Mo Moment. A Mo Moment is simply when you gather together a group of friends to do something that highlights the cause. There are no parameters as to what you can do, but the more engaging, exciting, and fun, the better. You can also donate directly to the Movember campaign in Australia.
