Awareness. Something we all need. We need to be aware to learn, to grow, to change, and to survive. We do this as individuals with our work and with our relationships, but some potential problems are too big to be seen and/or solved by any one person. It is in these circumstances that awareness requires a collaborative effort, in the case of cancer, for example.

We must be aware as individuals of our own health. We must be educated enough to, at the least, know where to go for testing and what to do for treatment, which is one place collaboration comes into play. Teams of medical specialists, pharmaceutical developers, chemists and the like must work together to find cures to treat our ailments, but it takes more. It takes awareness. People in general, all of us, must be aware of certain medical dangers that exist, and we must know where to go for treatment. This is why there are awareness themed months, such as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but as the example illustrates, in the U.S., health awareness is considered to be feminine.

Through an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2003 Study of Health Insurance, the Men’s Health Network found that “men are significantly less likely to have health insurance than women, and the gap is widening.” They also found that “among people living in poverty, men are much less likely to have access to health insurance.” This goes along with the general feeling in the US, sustained men and women alike, that men should be iron pillars of strength and fortitude; they should not have problems of any sort, whether emotional or physical, and are to endure, making sure to not seek any treatment for whatever may ail them.

It’s time for men to be aware of the extreme amount of pain that they can save themselves. It’s time to be aware that being unhealthy is counterproductive to being a pillar of strength. It’s time to learn what to look out for and to seek treatment as is needed. That’s what Movember is all about.

Movember is an effort to educate men about health awareness, specifically about male cancers, through the same meme and hype ways of other month-themed non-profit projects. Since it’s for men, however, its badge isn’t a ribbon or a pin, but a moustache. Those in support of Movember are encouraged to grow a moustache to show their support to others. If you are unable to grow a moustache, there are still many other ways to get involved.

For instance, I am growing a moustache, but am also featuring moustaches on my tumblr blog for the rest of the month, and am moustaching Twitter avatars for anyone that wants them.

From Movember’s Website:

Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men’s health issues – specifically prostate and testicular cancer.

This Movember, the money raised in the U.S. will be split between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation will use the money raised by Movember to fund research to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation will use the money raised by Movember to fund:
• the LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance program which has the goal of improving survival rates and quality of life for young adults with cancer between the ages of 15 and 40.
• research initiatives to further understand the biology of adolescent and young adult cancers.

To date, Movember has raised $47 million globally making it the world’s largest charity event for men. Significantly, awareness of men’s health issues has improved with Movember helping to spread important health messages directly to millions of Mo Bros & Sistas around the world.

Live strong. Live long. Live well. Let us all contribute a little something, whether monetary donations or support, and make all of our futures that much better.

[-] Author Bio [-]

Zeblue is an amateur graphic artist and blogger, who is hopelessly addicted to Twitter and all things geek. It is his passion to share geek awesomeness that brings his articles to iGeekTrooper, Necessary Cool, Murmur, zMoPo and ZebluePrime.com. Be ready for more.