Movember and Men’s Health
November 3, 2020
November has been a prominent month in men’s health for years. This is because of the men’s health organisation Movember, and 2020 is no different. Movember, now entering its 17th year, put on events every year to raise money for men’s health. This includes mental health, and the two biggest cancers that affect men: prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Most notably, they started the fundraiser where participants grow a moustache.
The organisation, which started in Australia in 2003, state that by 2030, they aim to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
One of the key objectives of Movember is to raise awareness of both prostate and testicular cancer, and to help men spot the signs, symptoms, and risk factors for both types of cancer.
Movember Fundraising
There are a couple of ways that Movember are promoting fundraising this year. They have their signature grow a moustache fundraising, and also a Move for Movember campaign. This involves walking or running 60km through the month of November. The campaign is to represent the 60 men that commit suicide every hour across the world.
The Impact of COVID on Movember and Men’s Health
This year has been especially hard for everyone. Men’s mental health has been directly impacted by the pandemic, with a report done by Movember showing that almost a quarter (22%) of men said their mental health had worsened during the first six weeks of the pandemic.
Prostate cancer has also been affected by the pandemic. In some parts of the country, diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer stopped altogether, according to Prostate Cancer UK. They state that this created a lot of anxiety in men and their loved ones. There were also men who were unable to access chemotherapy during lockdown. This changed, and men could then have treatment from home. Referrals have also plummeted during the pandemic, and Prostate Cancer UK launched a campaign in September to help combat this.
Sadly, despite the research that goes into cancer and their treatment, many men are still suffering delays in diagnosis and treatment due to the pandemic. A report published by Macmillan shows that there could be up to 50,000 people living with undiagnosed cancer in the UK, which includes prostate and testicular cancers. These delays can be devastating, and can affect not only their lives, but the lives of those around them and their loved ones too.
Movember, Men’s Health and Cancer Negligence
Unfortunately, there are still many cases of delays in diagnosis or treatment of cancer up and down the UK. This includes prostate and testicular cancer, two of the biggest causes of cancer in men. If these delays are due to the fault of someone else, then you may be able to claim. Examples of these delays include errors or failing to recognise symptoms. This can have a negative impact on treatment or prognosis.
How We Can Help
Here at The Medical Negligence Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with all manner of claims. This includes claims for misdiagnosis and delays in the treatment of cancer. Contact us today by filling in our contact form, or call us on 01614138761 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.