What is "Movember13" ???

Each year during the month of November, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on hundreds of thousands of men's faces around the world.  Men grow and women support the moustache (or beard) for 30 days to raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.  To date globally, over 3 million participants have raised $444 million.

In the US, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime making it the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men after skin cancer. In 2013, over 238,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed and almost 30,000 men will die of prostate cancer in the US alone.

One of the goals of "Movember13" is to raise awareness about testing. Men should talk to their doctor about prostate cancer testing. There are advantages and disadvantages to PSA testing. Understand the prostate cancer risk factors, discussing testing with a doctor and deteremine if prostate cancer testing is appropriate.

Often it’s the funds raised by a charity that are most remembered, but at Movember the awareness raised through the power of the moustache is equally important. The growth of a new moustache prompts a conversation, which in turn generates awareness and educates people on the health issues men face.  Awareness and education then prompts people to take action and change behavior, which is changing and saving lives today.

What behavior are we looking to change?

 On average, men die five years younger than women. The suicide rate is four times higher for men than women and 24% of men are less likely to go to the doctor compared to women.

 Some of the funds raised are used to run the annual Movember campaign, which inspires literally billions of conversations.  Additionally, some funds are used to create and maintain engaging resources, which educate men on the health risks they face, how to stay healthy and how to take action if they become ill.   The Movember website is the ultimate hub for all of this information. Movember also hosts and attends events throughout the year where we deliver health related information in a fun and engaging way.

Is it working?

Absolutely, but there is always more work to be done!  Please consider donating $1 or $5 to my team, and help Movember gets men to proactively learn more about their health. However, findings also highlighted that some men had ignored a health issue rather than go to a doctor. Proof that there is still more work to be done to change the face of men’s health.

Movember continues to educate men and raise awareness around the men’s health issues. To ensure that men continue changing their actions and behaviors towards their health, Movember will continue to invest, develop and grow our Awareness and Education program.

Please consider donating $1 or $5 to my team:

https://www.movember.com/us/donate/payment/member_id/6867281/

Thank you for your support!