Kerre Woodham: Have a crack and avoid bum rap

You can vote for the best builder's crack in the country as part of Blue September prostate checks. Photo / The Aucklander

Ah, September. The harbinger of spring and a time of renewal, new life - and prostate checks.

September goes blue this month with Blue September - designed to get men along to their doctors for prostate checks.

Prostate cancer kills as many Kiwi men as breast cancer kills Kiwi women - but there's nowhere near the same level of pro-activity about this killer disease.

So as an ambassador for Blue September, it is my sworn duty to nag men into taking care of themselves.

If we didn't love you, we wouldn't bother. We'd let you wither and die and collect the insurance money.

But good men are precious and valued and, while we all have to die sometime, dying of something that can be fixable is just plain dumb.

So in the same way you'd get a warrant of fitness for your car, make sure, once a year, you get your own warrant of fitness.

Know your bodies, know your doctor and take control of your health.

You can also participate in the many Blue September fund-raisers that are on over the next few weeks - one of my faves is www.ratemycrack.co.nz where you can vote for the best builder's crack in the country.

Placemakers is a major sponsor of Blue September and they're offering a $1000 prize for the best crack in the country.

So promise me on Monday, if you're not already getting regular check-ups, you'll phone your GP and make an appointment for a personal WOF.

It's only because we care.