This November, Abarca is celebrating Movember, or Men’s Health Awareness Month.
Movember is an annual campaign advocating for men’s health issues, like prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men’s mental health and suicide prevention. It aims to promote the detection and prevention of these diseases through testing and screening for these cancers and for mental health as well.
One way to celebrate Movember is by growing out your mustache in solidarity with the annual movement. But more than anything, it is important to acknowledge the unique health challenges that men face throughout the spectrum.
Spotlighting Men’s Issues
Movember aims to raise consciousness of three main health issues largely impacting men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health awareness.
Prostate cancer (PC), which occurs from mutations in genes in the prostate, is the most common type of non-skin cancer in the U.S. The Prostate Cancer Foundation reports that 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime. This disease is 99% treatable if detected early. Risk factors for PC include family history, genetic factors, race, lifestyle, and dietary habits.
Testicular cancer (TC) is rarer than prostate cancer but is the most common type found in males ages 15 to 34. This type is one of the easiest cancers to cure and about 95% of men survive it more than five years after it is found. The risk factors for this kind of cancer are less known and this makes it harder to prevent. These include an undescended testicle, family history, HIV infection, carcinoma in situ of the testicle, race, and body size.
Mental health awareness and suicide prevention is the third main focus of Movember. In recent years, with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic urging us to live in a state of social isolation, there has been an increasing need for mental health advocacy. The Movember Foundation encourages you to use their ALEC (ask, listen, encourage action, check in) approach to check in with the men in your life to see how they are doing.
How to Celebrate Movember
Beyond growing a mustache, the official Movember Foundation encourages a “Move for Mental Health,” a 60-mile walk or run dedicated to the 60 men lost to suicide globally every hour. They also encourage hosting your own “Mo-ments” in support and celebration of the cause.
Abarca is proud to support this movement this month. We are committed and all in when it comes to advocating for men’s health and raising awareness of these diseases. We hope you can join us in celebration and advocacy of men’s health issues this November.
To learn more about Movember, visit us.movember.com.