November or shall I say Movember, is set aside to highlight the health and wellbeing of the male fraternity. Why November and not the whole year round? I guess we’ll never know. Anyway, in a nutshell, men’s health awareness month (not to be confused with Men’s Health Awareness Week in June) focuses on encouraging the male gender to get checked for conditions that would otherwise not present any obvious symptoms. These include mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

That said, it is a well-known fact that men are quite notorious when it comes to their health and getting regular check-ups or seeing a healthcare professional. I mean, why fix it if it ain’t broken? Right? No. I saw this firsthand during a company event where we had nurses providing free blood pressure checks, and the women were more interested in the service than the gentlemen. For every 5 men approached for a check-up, only one agreed. They had answers ranging from ‘I already know my BP is high’, and ‘I’m good I don’t need a check-up’, to ‘I’m seeing my doctor in a few months’, while others completely ignored without saying a word. Maybe this is why women tend to live longer than men, according to research.

The Movember Movement – Men’s Health Awareness

It is mainly because of the above, that the Men’s Health Awareness Month and the Movember Foundation came to be. Movember is currently the only organization tackling men’s health on a global scale, in order to create impact by addressing the biggest health issues facing men and to create positive change by raising awareness and educating men on why their health matters, regardless of how small the symptom might be, and to take initiative and fix it before it breaks. As a result, they hope this initiative will reduce the number of men dying prematurely due to certain avoidable conditions.

Why Mental Health is Important

Mental health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a state of well-being in which one realizes his own abilities, can cope with the normal stressors of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his community. Even though both men and women go through mental health challenges, there are notable differences between the issues affecting both genders. However, in most cases, men find it difficult to seek professional help when they are struggling with their mental health.

Some of the mental health triggers faced by men stem from society’s expectations, which may lead them to think:

They must be their family’s breadwinners
They should rely on their own strength instead of seeking help
Seeking help to handle certain life stressors is a sign of weakness
Traditionally they should be strong and in control

That said, it is not a sign of weakness to seek mental health clarity, and to stay in front of your mental health. After all, there is an old saying that goes ‘a problem shared is a problem half solved’. You should try it sometime.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer among men, is considered a disease for older individuals (50+ years). Although the cancer can progress slowly in most people, it can also progress quite fast and aggressively. For those that progress slowly and are restricted to the prostate gland, the cancer may not present any obvious symptoms in its early stages and may not need any form of treatment.

However, how will you know the cancer is slow-growing or aggressive? The only way to find out is through regular check-ups and screening. This is because if it’s caught early, chances of successful treatment are very high. So, don’t wait for the symptoms to show, and forget Dr. Google while you are at it, and go ahead and book an annual well-man checkup to stay in front of it. Thousands of health facilities worldwide offer these checks, and I hear it’s not a painful procedure.

Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is cancer that occurs in the testicles located in the scrotum). Although it is considered rare, unlike prostate cancer, it occurs in males between the ages of 15 years and 35 years, but it can occur to just about any man of any age. The good news is that this type of cancer is highly treatable regardless of the stage.

But instead of waiting for cancer to progress, it is recommended you pay a visit to your urologist the moment you or your partner feel something is off with your testicles. This can be a small lump, one testicle becoming bigger than the other, discomfort, pain, and heaviness of the scrotum just to name a few.

DON’T MISS: Preventative Health Check-ups Worth Looking At

Join the Men’s Health Bandwagon

To sign off, you (men) should know that your health matters, regardless of what society and traditions imply. We are in 2021, not 1821. Make a point of fixing it before it’s broken beyond repair. And if you’re not thinking about yourself, think about those that matter to you. What happens if you’re broken beyond repair, or worse if you are not around anymore? They’ll be left holding that ball on their own.

Get that medical check-up scheduled and find the strength to seek help even if you think you may not need it. Preventative healthcare was invented for a reason, and it was definitely not to make money for the hospitals, but to make sure you stay in front of your health! Also, don’t wait for men’s health awareness month or men’s health awareness week to start thinking about your health. You can do it any day, week, or month. Just don’t wait until it’s too late.