Interview with Sam Gledhill, Global Action Plan Program Manager for Movember Foundation.

In this month of Movember, many men grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for the Movember Foundation but why the fuss over men’s health?

Across the world, men die an average six years younger than women, and for reasons that are largely preventable.

• 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime
• 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer
• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men ages 15-29
• 3 out of 4 suicides are men
• More than 500,000 men take their own life every year.

When it comes to keeping tabs on the wellbeing of the men in their life, women check in the most. Within the past week, 72% of women surveyed across markets have asked a man in their life how they are doing and 68% have given him a hug.

27% of women take a more proactive role in managing the health of the men they care about. For example, asking whether they had a check-up lately (18%) or schedule a doctor or dentist appointment for them (17%).

Global Action Plan Program Manager, Sam Gledhill said “The biggest key to having a conversation, is not just the guy who but it is the guy who’s doing the listening.”

In September this year, Movember ran the “Unmute” campaign which promoted the ALEC principles.

• • Ask the question
  • Listen to the response
  • Encourage action
  • Check-in

“Those four steps are the really critical parts to having conversations that matter.”

 

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