Mos aid break-down of health barriers

It’s that time of year again, when blokes sprout some questionable upper lip caterpillars, all in the name of men’s health.

Movember has seen curly mos, gruff handlebar ’staches and some questionable whiskers for the annual awareness and fundraising campaign for prostate cancer.

Each year during Movember, millions of dollars are donated towards prostate cancer and testicular cancer research and to raise awareness of, and to prevent, male suicide.

The Movember Foundation is working to change the state of men’s health by focusing on the areas they can have the most impact.

Among some of the most alarming figures, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australian men aged 15-44, with an average of six men a day taking their own life nationwide.

Along with miners to retail workers, and all of the burly blokes in between, it was Goodline tradies who showed their passion after raising well over $3000 at the time of print.

Goodline operations manager Jane Kennedy said the organisation was still waiting on numbers from employees donating through their pay checks.

“We work in such a male-dominated industry and men’s health is just not talked about in the same way as women’s health is,” she said.

“There’s just as many men dying from prostate cancer as there is breast cancer; it’s not just about the awareness, it’s also about breaking down those barriers.”

According to Ms Kennedy, Goodline has pledged to match each dollar raised by its employees.

Locals can donate and raise money for Movember and men’s health by donating directly to the Movember Foundation website at www.au.movember.com.