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I HOPE I find you well and in good health. Men are known to have poor health seeking behaviour, too many men don’t talk about nor take action about their wellness, and die prematurely from preventable causes. November has been coined ‘‘Movember to help raise awareness of men’s health issues’’. The symbol being the non-shaving of beard and moustache by men during the month.

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

This is an annual activity involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues. By encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as “Mo Bros”) to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Seven Nightly News aired a story in 1999 including a group of young men in Adelaide, South Australia who coined the term “Movember” and the idea of growing moustaches for charity throughout the month of November. In the news report, members of the Adelaide-based “Movember Committee” explained how they came up with the idea for Movember one night in the pub. The group started with 80 men from Adelaide and soon became a nationwide phenomenon. They also aimed to raise money through selling T-shirts in what they termed “Growing whiskers for whiskers.

In 2004, an unrelated group in Melbourne organised an event where 30 men would grow a moustache for 30 days in order to raise awareness for prostate cancer and depression in men. Adam Garone, Travis Garone, Luke Slattery, and Justin (JC) Coughlin inspired 26 other friends with a desire to “bring back” the trend of growing moustaches, the movement was born. The next year, nearly 500 people raised over $40 000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). At the time, it was the largest donation the PCFA had ever received. This group would later become the Movember Foundation charity. Three years after starting the Movember movement, the organization was granted official charity status in Australia.

The campaign has also been well received in South Africa and is starting to gain momentum in Zimbabwe. It is yet to be monetized in Zimbabwe though.

The prostate is a gland of the male reproductive system. It is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder, the organ that stores urine. It is about the size of a chestnut and somewhat conical in shape, and consists of a base, an apex, an anterior, a posterior and two lateral surfaces.

The main purpose of the prostate is to produce fluid for semen, which transports sperm during the male orgasm. The base is directed upward near the inferior surface of the bladder. The greater part of this surface is directly continuous with the bladder wall. The apex is directed downward and is in contact with the floor of the pelvis. The anterior lobe is used to describe the anterior portion of the gland lying in front of the urethra. The median lobe is a cone-shaped portion of the gland situated between the two ejaculatory ducts and the urethra. The lateral lobes (right and left lobes) form the main mass of the gland and are continuous posteriorly. They are separated by the prostatic urethra.

The posterior lobe is used by some to describe the part of the lateral lobes that can be felt through the rectum during digital rectal exam (DRE).

The testes and epididymis are paired structures, located within the scrotum. The testes are the site of sperm and hormone production, while the epididymis has a role in the storage of sperm.

The testes are located within the scrotum, with the epididymis situated on the posterior aspect of each testicle.

Commonly, the left testicle lies lower than the right. They are suspended from the abdomen by the spermatic cord — collection of vessels, nerves and ducts that supply the testes.

Originally, the testes are located on the posterior abdominal wall. During embryonic development they descend down the abdomen, and through the groin to reach the scrotum. They carry their blood, nerve and lymphatic supply with them.

Inside the scrotum, the testes are covered almost entirely by the tunica vaginalis (sac) that contains a small amount of viscous fluid. This sac covers the anterior surface and sides of each testicle and lubricating the surfaces of the testes and allowing for friction-free movement.

The testis are originally abdominal organs, the lymphatic’s (tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infections and other diseases) drainage is to the abdomen and if a cancer develops that is how it will spread. This is in contrast to the scrotum, which drains into the nearby superficial groin nodes. The scrotal sac is very distensible and will enlarge in response to the size of its contents.

The anatomy of these two organs will help us understand how the cancer grows and spreads. The biggest issue is how the cancers grow with no symptoms and will only be noted when there is backpain or scrotal swelling and at times chest pain or seizures.

Join us this Movember, let your moustache grow, and help men live happier, healthier, longer lives. You can help change the face of men’s health. Next week we shall have a closer look at prostate cancer.

Dr Tatenda Simango can be contacted on drtsimango@[email protected] or www.9thavenuesurgery.co.zw .