Each November, men across Australia grow a moustache for Movember to raise awareness of men’s health. One on a mate’s face is an easy way into a conversation he might otherwise never start. Two in five Australian men die before the age of 75.
When you know where the moustache came from and why men’s mental health is still surrounded by stigma, you can use a month of facial hair to ask a mate how he is going and listen to the answer. November is also a reminder to book your own check-up.
What Is Movember?
Movember is an annual charity campaign held throughout the month of November. Men who grow a moustache for it are known as Mo Bros. The money they raise is spent on men’s health projects in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health.
Movember began in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, when Travis Garone and Luke Slattery joked over a beer about bringing moustaches back into fashion. The pair found 30 mates willing to grow one for a month.
In 2004, 450 Mo Bros raised $54,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Funds raised each November now go to men’s health projects in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health.
The Movember Foundation
The Movember Foundation became an official Australian charity in 2006. Its first two men’s health partners in Australia were the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue, a national mental health organisation. Co-founder Luke Slattery wrote Movember’s tagline, Changing the face of men’s health.
Since 2003, more than 1,320 men’s health projects around the world have been funded with money raised by Mo Bros and their supporters. Those projects span cancer research and support services for men in more than 20 countries. When you donate to a Mo Bro, your money goes towards those projects.
The Moustache As A Health Support Signal
51% of Australian men aged 18 to 34 had avoided talking about their problems because they did not want to appear less of a man. That fear is part of the stigma around men’s mental health. A Mo Bro who grows a moustache for men’s health is telling the people around him that health issues are open for discussion.
Of people who have fundraised in past years, 99% talked to someone about their health. When you grow a mo for Movember, your friends and colleagues have an easy reason to ask about yours.
The Physical Health Side Of Movember: Prostate Cancer And Testicular Cancer
Prostate and testicular cancer are the two physical health issues behind each Movember moustache. Prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia in 2021. Five-year survival rates for men diagnosed rose from 58% in 1982 to 95.6% in 2018. Testicular cancer is less common than prostate cancer, with about 1,040 Australians expected to be diagnosed in 2025 and rates highest among men aged 30 to 34. Five-year survival after diagnosis is around 98%.
A PSA test is a blood test that measures a protein made by a man’s prostate, which is a gland below his bladder. Australian guidelines for early detection set out testing every two years for men at average risk from age 50 to 69. GPs may advise men with a family history of prostate cancer to start from around age 40 to 45. Ask your GP about a PSA test at your next check-up if you are 50 or older or if a close relative has had it.
Get to know how your testicles normally look and feel. See your GP if you notice a lump, swelling, heaviness, or a change in size, including a lump that causes no pain.
Checking In On A Mate
36.4% of Australian men with a mental health condition in the previous year saw a health professional about it, compared with 51.1% of women. Movember is a yearly prompt to start a conversation with a mate who might be struggling.
Ask him how he is going and mention any change you have noticed in him. Repeat the question if he says he is fine. Give him your full attention while he talks. Respond to what he tells you with questions and leave diagnosis and solutions to health professionals.
Suggest small steps that could help him, such as getting more sleep or talking to someone else he trusts. Point him towards his GP, MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78, or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 if he wants professional support.
Arrange another catch-up with him soon. Call or message him if you cannot see him face to face.
More Than Growing A Moustache: Fundraising As A Way To Participate In Movember
Men who cannot grow a moustache and women who take part as Mo Sistas can participate in Movember through fundraising. Every way to raise funds is set up through a personal donation page called a Mo Space.
You can walk or run 60 kilometres over the month with Move. A fitness tracker linked to your Mo Space logs each kilometre for your donors to see. When you Host a Mo-ment, you can gather friends, family, or colleagues for an event such as a trivia night or morning tea. Guests donate to your Mo Space on the day.
A challenge you set yourself counts as Mo Your Own Way. Friends and family sponsor it through your Mo Space.
Mental Health First Aid For Movember And Beyond
A man can be affected by poor mental health at any point in the year. A mate who opened up during Movember can still be struggling long after his moustache has gone. By enrolling in our first aid for mental health training, you can recognise signs of mental health challenges in a mate, know what to say when you check in with him, and encourage men to seek help when they need it. With those skills, the men in your life have someone to talk to long after Movember. Enrol in our first aid for mental health training to become the person they can rely on.
FAQs
Are Donations To Movember Tax Deductible?
Yes. Donations of more than $2 to Movember Australia are tax deductible.
Does A Beard Count For Movember?
No. Beards and goatees are excluded from Grow a Mo, which is for a moustache on its own.
Can I Take Part In Movember As A Team?
Yes. Funds raised and distance moved by every team member are grouped under one total.
