Written by Natalie Sarmiento
The month of November is the month to commemorate and partake in Movember – a time to recognise and celebrate men’s health around the globe. The month encourages men to grow moustaches and participate in activities to raise awareness about men’s health issues. Whilst the month is encouraging for men to participate, there are still a plethora of ways for all people to join in and promote the physical and mental wellbeing of men.
In this article, we will offer you all there is to know about Movember and show you a range of activities for you to get involved. We will also provide you with a list of resources:
- What is Movember?
- Ways To Get Involved
- Movember Resources
- Your Next Steps
What Is Movember?
A study conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that Australian males (53%) were more at risk of ill health and death than females (47%). 43% of men have suffered from mental health problems. The Cancer Council has found that 25,400 males were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023 with the average age of diagnosis being 70 years. Testicular cancer has become the most common form of cancer among young men. Sadly, it was found that one man dies by suicide every minute of every day with 69% of suicides occuring are by men. As such, the need to promote good health among men is very important.
Whilst the month of Movember is encouraging for men to grow moustaches in an act to promote good health and wellbeing, women are strongly encouraged to step up and support men throughout the month. The whole goal of Movember is ultimately to raise awareness and funds for men’s health – with a strong emphasis on disease & illness prevention for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
The idea for Movember began in Australia in 2003 when two friends Travis Garone and Luke Slattery were joking about resurging outdated fashion trends which included the mo. From there, they challenged some friends to grow a moustache whilst wearing a blue ribbon as a sign to advocate for men’s health. To their surprise, 30 of their friends rose to the occasion. Today, Movember is celebrated all across the globe.
The rules for Movember are as follows:
- To partake, men must begin with a clean-shaven face on the 1st of November
- Ensure that you are registered by signing up and creating a profile.
- No other forms of facial hair is allowed – this includes beards, sideburns, or stubble
- It’s important to take progress shots of your mo
- Try to maintain grooming and styling of your mo for the whole month
- Find a cause that you want to support and raise funds
- If you are unable to participate physically, then we encourage you to support men in your life who are partaking in this month.
As the month progresses, and the growing commences, people will often raise money for the cause. The money raised is often used for further studies in protecting men and their health. If you are interested in learning more about Movember, then please visit https://au.movember.com/
Ways To Get Involved
As mentioned before, the easiest way for you to partake in the month is to grow a moustache. People may feel compelled to start conversations about wellbeing if they can see that you are doing your part.
As the month is about promoting good health, then it’s important that you practise good health. Ensuring that you’re getting your daily intake of physical activity, checking in with yourself to maintain good mental health are just some easy ways to participate.
The Movember charity would not be around if not for the support of millions of people around the globe. Raising funds throughout the month is one way to directly give back. If you are not a male or cannot physically take part in the month, then donating to charities that directly support Movember is a very good way to get involved. Providing money and resources to such charities means that studies on men’s health can continue. The research on improving men’s health and wellbeing is one that will never end.
Movember also has an event finder, detailing a range of community events that are happening all around the world and are accessible to all men, women and children. All you have to do is enter any keywords, dates and your location to find out where your nearest event is for you to participate.
Movember Resources
Provided below are a list of services that are accessible across Australia. All of these resources are organisations that are in support of Movember. If you or anyone you know would like to access resources and professional support, we encourage you to contact these sites:
- The Movember website is your one stop shop for all things on Men’s health. This is the main site for the Movember charity. If you were confused about ways to get involved, the site provides numerous resources (about Movember, Personal Stories, Support & Funding).
- Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia provides information and support for people who may be battling prostate cancer.
- Cancer Council Australia provides facts on all types of cancers, in particular prostate and testicular cancer. The website includes a information & support line for any questions you may have.
- Beyond Blue: Beyond Blue offers a plethora of resources for mental health support to access ranging from online peer support communities to one-on-one calls (20 minutes) with counsellors.
- The Australian Government, Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Contacts provides a detailed list of contacts relating to mental health and suicide prevention.
Your Next Steps
If you are partaking in Movember this month, we wish you the best of luck. If you are not partaking in this month physically, then we hope you are able to find ways to support those who are and get involved. In reading this article, we hope you’ve been inspired to start meaningful conversations about men’s health and that you continue to seek ways to detect and prevent such illnesses from occurring.
We encourage you to bookmark and revisit this blog post to access all of these resources and tips in one spot and hope you have a good month ahead!
Disclaimer: The advice provided in this article is general in nature. For more information relating to your individual circumstances, please speak to your healthcare provider.
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