Stop Men Dying Too Young

Imagine yourself sat in a pub, with your mates, chatting about fashion trends. Now, if one of your friends suggested the moustache deserved a comeback, would you grow a ‘Mo’? Most likely not… but what if it were for charity?

This is exactly what happened fifteen years ago, in Melbourne; little did these charity moustache pioneers know - they would change the world at the pub that night. With a mere 30 Mo-Bros and a 10AUD donation for each moustache grown, the Movember Foundation was born. Since then, the Movember Foundation has funded more than 1,200 men’s health projects worldwide and, by 2030, they aim to reduce the number of male premature deaths by 25%. Last year alone, they raised over £48,000 for men’s health.

The Movember Foundation addresses some of the biggest health issues faced by men; prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Men’s health often remains glossed over, despite the fact that men tend to experience worse longer-term health than women, in addition to a shorter life expectancy. Prostate cancer rates are forecast to double in the next fifteen years, and testicular cancer rates have already doubled in the last fifty years. Three quarters of all suicides are male; half a million men take their lives every year. That’s a man every minute.

Nevertheless, we can all take action to live healthier, happier, longer lives – and Imperial College’s RAG (Raising and Giving) want to help you to do so. We encourage you to make time for yourself and for your friends. 70% of men say their friends can rely on them for support, but only 48% say that they rely on their friends. In other words: we’re here for our mates, but worried about asking for help for ourselves. Reaching out is crucial; it is important to have open conversations.

You should also know if you are particularly susceptible to certain diseases, and when to talk to your doctor. If you have a family history of prostate cancer, or other forms of cancer, extra precaution should be taken. In addition, perform regular self-checks. I.e. Get to know what’s normal for your testicles. Give them a check regularly and go to the doctor if something doesn’t feel right. Finally, make sure you are getting enough physical activity. Whilst this can be difficult with our busy schedules, small things like taking the stairs instead of lifts, getting off a bus stop (or two) early can make a difference.

Now, ICU RAG cannot help you with the self-checks, nor with your family history, but we can get you involved in many really cool activities this month.

You may have heard of University Jailbreak – this is one of ICU RAG’s big events! Tomorrow, our fellow students shall embark on a thirty-six-hour challenge, in which they must get as far away from campus as possible by hitchhiking. In past years, students have made it as far as Indonesia, and individual groups have raised almost £2,000!

Jailbreak is not part of Imperial’s Movember campaign, but instead supports Smile Train, Mind, The Children’s Society and Cardinal Hume Centre.

For Movember, we are holding pub quizzes at H-Bar, hosting bar nights, and organising various fundraising events at the Union (keep your eyes and ears open for an upcoming ‘Hot Wings Challenge’)! Nevertheless, this year, we want to put a focus on you really understanding the cause behind Movember. If you want to learn more about Movember – specifically its causes (prostate cancer, testicular cancer, men’s health and suicide prevention), join us at our Movember panel on Monday 19th November, at 6:30pm, in Sir Alexander Fleming (SAF) G34.

At this panel, our first special, guest speaker will be Professor Charlotte Bevan; the head of prostate cancer research at Imperial. She believes that since it began in 2004, the Movember campaign has increased awareness of prostate cancer enormously, to the point where it is now something that can be talked about in public; it is no longer seen as an embarrassing disease of ageing. At the panel, she shall elaborate more on her research, the necessary medical breakthroughs for advancement, the importance on fundraising and awareness campaigns like Movember, and what she enjoys about her work.

Matt Loynes will also be joining our Movember panel. Loynes has suffered with mental wellbeing in the past but has since grown himself a moustache and helps raise awareness globally about Movember, which supports the life-saving research that helped his father beat cancer.

Finally, Nick Ellis; a mental health coach from JJ Ellis. He has years of experience delivering mental health first aid training courses to increase awareness, challenge stigmas and discrimination, and to give people the confidence to help someone in a crisis.

The panel will be a great chance to learn more about Movember itself – as well as to have any of your questions answered. It is great to get involved in activities, and even better to understand the cause behind them.

We hope to see more of you sporting a ‘stache’ this month!

Later this month, ICU RAG will be hosting a “Shave-it-Off” event, to mark the end of Movember. Here, you can get a professional shave from local barbers, and all proceeds will again go to Movember. Be sure to follow our social media pages to stay updated with our events.