Grow a Mo, save a bro

IT’S Movember – a month when men’s health comes into the spotlight. Men are encouraged to grow moustaches, which are intended to be a mechanism to draw attention to and initiate conversations around men’s mental and physical health.

The annual event, involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November, raises awareness surrounding men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide. By encouraging men to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths.

Mjabulaleni Nzuza, a drummer for Hawema – a funky, four-piece rock ‘n roll, punk and jazz outfit performing at the Rhumbelow Theatre in Umbilo this November – is a Glenwood resident and says that this Movember, he and his band will be advocating for prostate exams at their upcoming shows.

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“One of our band member’s grandfathers recently died of prostate cancer because he refused to go to the doctor. This is a symptom of the macho-man mentality we are raised on and evidence of the damage it causes. Prostate cancer is one of the easiest cancers to cure if you catch it in time.

“Another bandmate’s father recovered from prostate cancer as a result of early diagnosis and action. As men, we need to allow ourselves the space to be vulnerable without associating that with weakness. We also need to recognise the disenfranchising effect class plays in forcing men into these spaces where vulnerability is replaced with hyper-masculine posturing,” said Nzuza.