Editorial: Men's health a hairy issue

Tauranga urologist Andre Westenberg agreed Movember had "made a huge difference" to men's health awareness. Photo / Peter Watt

I'm not a fan of moustaches.

Stubble and short, nicely maintained beards are fine but not a lone moustache (or those bushy caveman beards that are so popular at the moment, but that's beside the point).

Despite that, I'm fully behind Movember.

It's a fun way to raise awareness about a serious issue - one that is not taken seriously enough by most Kiwi men.

Many Kiwi men pride themselves on being tough and refuse to see a doctor unless they are literally at death's door.

I'm not one to rush to the doctor for every slight ailment - I'm more likely to soldier on through a cold and wait for it to pass. I do, however, make a point of getting a check-up every year or so. Even if you feel fine, you never know what could be going on deeper in your body.

I'd rather suffer the discomfort, inconvenience and cost of a quick check-up in order to make sure any problems are picked up early and can be treated before things get out of control.

Most Kiwi women I know are good at getting check-ups. The men are not. If Movember helps encourage men to talk about the issue and do something about it, I'm all for it.

Mount Maunganui-based country manager for Movember, Robert Dunne, recently told the Bay of Plenty Times the first chats around mo-growing among men were "fun" and "hard-case", often centering around what their partners thought of their new look, but these often progressed to more serious health conversations.

Tauranga urologist Andre Westenberg agreed Movember had "made a huge difference" to men's health awareness.

He pointed out Movember was "cool" among young men, aged between 24 and 45, who were most prone to testicular cancer but previously too embarrassed to consult their GP about a lump. Now men were comfortable asking him questions about prostate and testicular cancer over a beer, he said.

I'm glad to hear more men are taking their health seriously and I hope the trend continues.

Men, you may not think it's important but think of your families and friends who want to make sure you're around for years to come.