Movember Madness

TV3’s sports host Rod Cheeseman is in. Prime Minister John Key – though he says he’s in favour – won’t participate because he says his wife doesn’t like hairy men. But Bronagh, what’s not to like about our photo-shopped mo-wearing John Key? And we have to ask – would you date this man?

We’re talking Movember, the annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, when thousands of men around NZ, Australia and now the world grow a moustache to highlight men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression.

Mo Bros, supported by their Mo Sistas, start Movember (November 1st) clean shaven and then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache.

Mo-Growing Online

And this year Herbal Ignite’s general manager Sam Kamani has joined the fray with a mo-growing experiment we’ll track on line.

Says Sam: “I’m quite enjoying my ‘motor-biker mo look’ even though my fiance hates it and is waiting for the days of Movember to finish.”

During Movember, each Mo Bro effectively becomes a walking billboard for men’s health and, via their Mo, raises essential funds and awareness for Movember’s men’s health partners – The Cancer Society and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.

The idea for Movember came about in 2003 when a few mates were having a beer in a small bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Inspired by the women’s health movement, it was recognized that men were lacking a way to engage and actively involve themselves in their own health.

During a conversation about fashion and past trends, the idea came up to bring the moustache back for one month, and in doing so, have some fun, raise a small amount of money and hopefully encourage men to talk about their health with each other.

$60m Raised Globally

Since this time, Movember has continued to grow each year, both in terms of participation numbers and funds raised. In its first year, 30 Mo Bros took part in Movember and since 2006, the first year in New Zealand, more than 50,000 people have participated and $4million has been raised for Movember’s Kiwi men’s health partners.

Today, in its sixth consecutive year, Movember now take splace not just in Australasia but also in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland.

To date, Movember has raised AUS$60 million globally for the fight against prostate cancer and depression in men. And, more importantly, as a direct result, male awareness of health issues has improved with Movember helping to spread health messages directly to millions of Mo Bros & Sistas around the world.

Going forward, Movember will continue to work towards helping to change established habits and attitudes and make men aware of the risks they face, thereby increasing early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.

Herbals For Prostate Health

A range of herbs have been shown to improve prostate health, but non more so than saw palmetto, a herb grown in the US and found in Herbal Quup (pronounced Kew Up) a supplement to help reduce those midnight trips to the bathroom caused by an enlarged prostate.

Quup contains saw palmetto, lycopene from tomatoes, the red ingredient which has found to have a good preventive action against prostate cancer, as well as zinc and selenium, both good for sperm health.

Find out more at Herbal Quup and order today.

Getting Real About Prostate Cancer

Broadcaster, olive oil producer and P campaigner Paul Holmes has a simple prescription for getting the best out of life after prostate cancer; “Live to the full and laugh a lot.”

Since he was diagnosed in 2003 with the cancer that affects as many men as breast cancer affects women, Paul has been a slightly reluctant poster boy for what he says is seen as an “old man’s disease.”

But he says “it’s time men told other men they need to simply do one thing – get themselves checked.

“The difference between breast and prostate cancer can be seen in the death rates; while breast cancer rates have declined in the last ten years, prostate cancer rates have risen.

Life Changes After Cancer

In a Sunday Herald column to mark the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s Blue September awareness campaign last year he noted: “Life changes after breast cancer, just as life changes after prostate cancer.

“While women have gone out and made their sisters aware of breast cancer, men have failed to make their brothers as conscious of the dangers and prevalence of prostate cancer.”

He says undoubtedly the biggest impact prostate cancer has had on his life is the prolonged and sometimes humiliating treatment required, and “the loss of sexual function, or indeed, any desire.”

Says Paul: “After the hormone and radiation treatments, one ceases to even think about sex. Sexuality completely disappears. This would put strain on many a relationship, fortunately not on mine, though it changes things and you cease to wonder how it has.”

Staying Alive Without Sex

As Paul told New Idea; “It was a choice between staying alive and healthy and not having sex, or not having treatment. Well, the choice is a no-brainer, isn’t it?

“But that doesn’t mean that a person is not still a man. You know, I’m still competitive, ambitious and professional. I still love my family. And there was only one priority – you have got to get that cancer out of your body. Everything else is secondary.”

Paul and his wife Deborah had only just started living together when he was diagnosed, but they’ve weathered the storms and married a year later.

They point out that not all men lose sexual ability, and there are several options available in assisting with restoring sexual function.

Treatment Options

The severity of the erectile dysfunction – and whether it is temporary or permanent – depends on the type of surgery, stage of cancer, and the type of treatment.

One study shows erectile dysfunction rates of 66% for nerve-sparing prostatectomy versus 75% for non-nerve sparing surgery at one year after the surgery. The use of vacuum devices or drugs such as Viagra after surgery once the body has healed may improve the quality of erections and speed the return of normal sexual function.

Loss of erectile function is the most common long-term complication of radiation therapy. But its occurrence decreases when more sophisticated treatments, like radioactive seed implants (brachytherapy), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and 3-D conformal radiotherapy, are used.

Men’s Awareness Growing

Five years on from his diagnosis Paul says men are now much more aware about prostate cancer.

“My own prostate cancer and the ensuring publicity might have helped a little. Certainly there is now much more knowledge and many men approach me for advice. Any cancer is freaky and worrying, but I sense there is no longer any reluctance to be open with others about prostate cancer.”

If there was one thing he’d like to get across to NZ Prime Minister John Key it’s the need for a national campaign to alert men to the need to get prostate cancer checks annually.

“Every time men get a blood test over the age of 40, the doctor should probably tick the box for a PSA test. Men have a responsibility to get themselves checked.”

Keeping a Healthy Prostate

A low-fat, high-fiber diet, reducing stress and getting regular exercise can all help safe guard prostate health, research shows. Dietary supplements like Quup, containing herbs like saw palmetto and active ingredients like lycopene (from tomatoes) can also be beneficial.