Movember Increases Awareness of Male Health Concerns

By MONICA TYSON

Get ready hipsters and advocators of the world, Movember is here. Movember? It’s no-shave November’s third cousin twice removed. Movember has taken the male grooming habits to an all-new level, substituting a lack of shaving for a deliberate mustache. Originally an idea to advocate men’s health issues, the phenomena is becoming an international event with participants in The U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Czech Republic to name a few. The official Movember site, movember.com, provides some statistics.

Movember fast facts state, “one in every two men will develop some kind of cancer over their lifetime.” Early diagnosis is the key to overcoming this disease, and with half of the male population expected to develop cancer, educating as many people as possible seems unavoidable. Movember crusaders are also concerned with the diets some men have, leading to heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Many Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students do not know that there is a health awareness movement in the male community.

Kelvin Chen, FCLC ’14, said, “What exactly is there for men to worry about?” This lack of awareness is exactly the problem that Movember seeks to correct.

Javed Yunus, FCLC ’14, raised concerns about “what [he] should be worried about and how Movember is supposed to help.” The mustache prompts people to ask why men are wearing them, giving men (or women) the opportunity to share the facts about men’s health concerns.

There are a few ways to help: participants of Movember can enter as either someone who grows a mustache, someone who makes a donation or someone who brings awareness of Movember into a business, corporation or school.

Mo Bros and Mo Sistahs (the name that movember.com has given to participants) who raise the most money during Movember can win prizes. Among other things, prizes  include Movember memorabilia and snow boarding gear.

All together, over 1 million dollars have been raised for this season’s Movember. Clothing companies have joined the cause and produced special apparel for Movember. TOMS shoe company features a limited edition pair of shoes “wearing” a mustache. Fuzzy Ink tees have made shirts that read, “Ask me about my mustache,” and Palmer Cash also has a line dedicated to Movember. All three companies are donating a percentage of their profits to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.