How Your Movember Donations Fight Cancer and Mental Illness

Getting to see yourself with a hairy upper lip can be a great conversation starter, even if you do find it a little ridiculous. It may not suit you, but growing a moustache for Movember and raising funds for this cause is a great way to support men’s health. While the main thrust of Movember is to raise money for prostate cancer, it also aims to raise awareness for men’s issues more generally, and to highlight men’s mental health issues. The Movember cause is an important one, it helps to get a conversation going and start a dialogue, which is too often ignored.

Why is Movember so important?

Men’s health is often highly stigmatised, as men are expected to remain strong and hard-skinned, while sensitive men are perceived as weak. Be it physical or mental health, Movember aims to help break that stigma and get men talking about their concerns. On average, men die six years earlier than women, which the campaign is hoping to address.

The statistics regarding prostate cancer are even more alarming. If prostate cancer is detected early, 98% of men survive beyond 5 years. If it is detected late, however, the chance of surviving falls to 26%. The funds raised by Movember are going towards research and helping to halve the number of men who die by this form of cancer by 2030.

Mental health: The silent killer of men

Worldwide, a man commits suicide every minute. Men’s emotions are frequently bottled up, even though roughly one in two men have had a mental health problem at some stage in their life. Three out of every four suicides are by men, which shows how damaging this masculine ideal is.

That’s why it’s so important to start a dialogue with your peers and help to raise funds raised for this important cause.  Movember is aiming to reduce male suicides by 25% by 2030 with education programs, starting conversations and investing in services that work for men.

What you can do to help

There are many ways you can help the cause. The most well-known way is by growing a moustache, joining up and encouraging your friends and family to donate. If you cannot grow a moustache or want another way to donate you can “Move for Movember”. Set a target distance and get those you know to sponsor you. The fight against cancer and mental illness is ongoing, but getting involved with Movember and showing your support is the first step to helping address these issues.

More information can be found at: https://au.movember.com/?home