Let’s be real — we’ve all heard of Movember.
It’s a global movement dedicated to changing the face of men's health 365 days a year. How do Movember do it? By challenging us to sport the mightiest moustache we can to raise funds and awareness throughout the month of November.
Now you might already be rocking a Mo. It might be shaggy, it might be patchy, it might be ELITE, it might be just the best you could muster.. But, when it comes to Movember, this time of year means your flavour saver can represent so much more.
Men's health issues are a serious problem — men are dying, on average, four years earlier than women, with suicide being the leading cause in men aged 15-54. In fact, in 2022, 3,429 Aussie lives were lost to suicide — 2,455 of those were men. Additionally, First Nations men aged 15-24 die by suicide at three times the rate of non-Indigenous men in the same age bracket.
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But it’s not just suicide. Prostate and testicular cancer are devastating the country’s male population. One in five Aussie men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and the number of men diagnosed with testicular cancer has grown by 60% over the past 30 years.
These are harrowing numbers, and we need to raise both awareness and funds to help lower these statistics, as these causes are largely preventable. Research suggests that 77% of male deaths and 54% of healthy years of life lost can be attributed to just five preventable health conditions. Movember is on a mission to address this, and stop men from dying too young.
How can you get involved in Movember 2024?
First — it’s about spawning the best Mo you can. Simply sign up on the Movember website, pimp out your Mo Space and start growing your moustache on November 1st. NO CHEATING — you must start clean shaven, and we better not see any beards.
How you style your Mo is completely up to you. Taking a business meeting with a handlebar moustache is something everyone should try. Rumour has it that meetings attended by someone rocking a Mo are at least 25% more productive—at least that’s how it feels.
But there are other ways to fundraise for the Movember movement, too. Rally your loved ones — regardless of gender — and sign up to Move for Movember, in support of men’s mental health. Commit to walking or running 60kms throughout Movember to remember the 60 men globally who die by suicide every hour — that’s one man dying from suicide every minute.
The most important part of participating in Movember, besides doing good, is actually signing up so your hard work growing and moving counts. You can sign up via Movember’s website, or via downloading their app, and set up your Mo Space profile.
Think of it as a social media profile, but instead of brain rot and doom scrolling, it’s all about doing good and supporting men’s health. It can even inspire others to join and do the same.
Set a fundraising target, rally up support and encourage people to donate (and get involved themselves). You’re going to want to share your profile as far and wide as you can! More eyes on it can mean more donations and more people rallying behind this great cause.
Don’t Mo it alone — do it in a team
Speaking of more people, Movember is much more fun when you can get a group of mates to do it with you. Not only will you all be sporting your mightiest moustaches (some mightier than others, but that’s OK), you can support each other’s fundraising goals.
When it comes to men’s mental health, a support group is vital when it comes to challenging unhealthy behaviours and getting each other to open up. What better way to encourage this than by doing Movember with your best mates?
To sign up and participate in Movember, or to find out more, head to Movember’s website.
The LADbible Team