In Australia in 2003, a group of friends started a movement called the Movember Foundation. The Foundation challenged men to grow mustaches through November as a playful and striking way to start conversations about men’s health.
Mustaches were chosen because it is highly visible, unusual, and often humorous way of making people curious enough to ask why someone is suddenly sporting facial hair. Some of the serious topics include prostate cancer and men’s mental health. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, especially in men over 50. Early detection improves the outcomes. Early detection will help get rid of it and stop the spread. Many men avoid the uncomfortable conversations and medical check-ups and leads to the problems getting worse.
Movembers impact across the world has been extreme and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for research, education, and support programs. More importantly, it has been impactful for people to talk more about their mental health and other problems. This movement was able to link something funny and simple as a mustache to be able to link it to bigger problems for men’s health.
The mustache stands as a symbol of solidarity, visibility and advocacy. Every year, when you see men growing a mustache in November, they are helping support the mental health crisis and to fear of cancer.
I am currently growing a mustache in honor of my grandfather who beat prostate cancer and was able to get back in healthy. I believe that if people aren’t scared to talk about uncomfortable stuff, they will be able to get a good outcome. But if people brush it off, nothing good can come out of it and the situation will get worse.
