Moustaches and Pink Ribbons

It's Movember, that time of year when men around the world grow mo's (moustaches) to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer. It's also growing like wildfire--a testament to the power of social media. Registrations are double that of last year and they are about to cross $50 million in the first half of the month. I believe that the mo' will soon hold the same power for PCa as the pink ribbon does for breast cancer.
It's not too late to join the fun and start a team, join a team or just make a donation for the cause. http://www.movember.com/m/27813

Grow on!

I like the idea, but I have been sporting a mustache since I was 21. Should I shave it off instead?

I've struggled with the notion that a pink ribbon raises awareness for breast cancer. And when contemplating Movember, I struggled with how a moustache could raise awareness for men's health issues, particularly prostate cancer. But the power of the moustache is here.

Pink, quite simply, is overused (see NY Times, the Pinking of America). When I see pink I don't think anything special. And when our local 7-year old U08 boys soccer team wore pink wrist bands for cancer awareness I just thought -- how? How does pink translate to awareness?

I am growing a 'Mo for Movember. People, who have always seen me clean shaven remark -- "oh, you're growing a moustache." And I respond -- "yes, it's for Movember." When they ask about Movember I tell them that despite similar incident and mortality rates, prostate cancer research receives less than half the public funding than that of breast cancer research. Or that Komen takes in almost 10 times the amount of money that of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

(I'm good -- I don't mention that Komen also spends nearly $1M suing other groups who dare use "For the Cure.")

I don't like comparing our struggles to breast cancer. But the NY Times also stated "Notably, prostate cancer, the most common cancer, receives the least funding per new case at just $1318." I hate the comparison because it makes me sound like I am against breast cancer research. I am not. I don't think breast cancer research is over funded. It is not. All cancer research is under funded.

But we must start by recognizing the women have done a much better job in raising awareness. And this is our chance. Be a Mo Bro or a Mo Sista.

Barry Sherry
Woodbridge VA
Survivor, Class of '09