This Movember we explore the story behind this epic men’s health movement and how you can get involved

From its humble origins in a bar in Melbourne in 2003, Movember has grown to be a worldwide phenomenon with over 6 million participants and funding more than 1,250 men’s health projects globally.

Today, 20 years on, Movember’s priority worldwide goal is still men’s health awareness, with their key cause areas being raising funds and support for men’s mental health and suicide prevention, plus prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

When we consider statistics about men’s health, the latest data from the Global Health Observatory shows that men are dying on average 5 years earlier than women (71 years vs 76 years, respectively).¹ Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide, with more than 1.4 million new cases occurring in 2020, while testicular cancer ranks 27th with over 74,000 new cases in 2020.² When it comes to suicide the global rate is more than 2x as high for men compared to women,³ with an estimated 48% of men living with some type of mental disorder.⁴

Movember aims to address these issues on a global scale by funding innovative projects across the world. The aim of these projects is to bring together experts to collaborate in ways that will fundamentally change the way men are treated and supported, by executing on new ideas, sharing research outcomes, and driving awareness for communities to consider planning similar programs of work.

How do Movember do this? The following five steps:

• Give men the facts
• Change behaviour for the better
• Create services that work for men
• Unite the brightest minds
• Listen to the community and advocate for men’s health.

Jeremy Young, Centre Leader at GenesisCare Perth centres, Wembley and Hollywood told us, “For a long time, getting men to talk about their physical health, let alone their mental health, was like trying to get blood from a stone. Movember was one of the catalysts in normalising discussions in health and wellbeing in men when previously it had been seen as a weakness, and Movember has continued to be the momentum to keep striving for better. Increased awareness and funding of support groups, health programs, screening and access to mental health professionals has all contributed to better health outcomes for men, but we’ve a long way to go yet. I’m calling on the men of GenesisCare to become a Mo Bro and join the Order of the Mo for the month of Movember. You’ll risk sleeping on the couch, but don your favourite Ted Lasso, Darryl Kerrigan, Honey Badger, or Merv Hughes moustache and start a conversation. While you’re at it, raise some money for a great cause!”

If you’re wondering about how, you can get involved this Movember, you might consider one of the below ideas:

Grow a Mo during November – Start a conversation and show your family and friends what you stand for! Sign up and start raising funds here.

Move for Mental Health – All you need to do is run or walk 60km in November! It’s a fantastic personal challenge and way to move your body throughout the month. Learn more and sign up here.

Create a Movember team at work – Fundraise together with your colleagues and raise awareness about men’s health. You can host an event, grow Mo’s together or go walking every lunchtime. Learn more here.

Suzanne Davies, Head of Culture & Capability at GenesisCare shared, “It is important to us to encourage our team members within GenesisCare to raise their personal awareness regarding male health checks and the importance of focusing on their wellbeing. Our teams do an amazing job looking after our patients and we look to treat them with the same care. Our November internal wellbeing program will provide tools and resources to enable this while also supporting Movember.”

Men’s health is important for us to all talk about and furthermore a reason to remind the men in our lives about aiming to maintain good health and wellness in all aspects of daily life.