testicular

Movember!

studenthealth Men's health, Uncategorized , , , ,

Movember is all about bringing back the moustache or ‘Mo’ for the month of November.

It’s about having a bit of fun and putting a spotlight on men’s health, which doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.

It is for awareness of men’s health in general, but in  particular; prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.

The appearance of new hair on a gentleman’s or ‘Mo Bro’s’ face will be like a walking-talking billboard, promoting the health message. The moustache is a way of generating conversations, awareness and of raising funds for men’s health.

 

The rules of Movember:-

1)      Sign up at Movember.com. Each ‘Mo Bro’ must begin on 1st November with a fresh, clean shaven face.

2)      Grow and groom a moustache for the 30 days of November

3)      NO fake moustache NO beards NO goatees. That’s cheating!

4)      Use the facial hair to stimulate conversation and raise funds for men’s health

5)      You must conduct yourself like a true gentleman!

 

It is well known that men visit GP’s and other health professionals less frequently than women, and the average life expectancy for men is on average 4 years less than for women. The reasons for this are numerous and complex but include:-

  • Men being unwilling to discuss their health, or how they feel.
  • Stigma around mental health in particular
  • Men feeling they ‘need to be tough and get on with it’
  • Reluctance to ask for help unless feeling unwell physically
  • Lack of understanding and awareness of men’s health issues.

 

Movember facts:-

  • Started in Australia in 2003
  • Over 100 million people have grown a moustache worldwide due to Movember
  • Raises in excess of 75 Million US Dollars equivalent each year, worldwide
  • Facial hair grows at around ½ inch a month
  • The world’s longest moustache is over 14 feet long
  • Over 99% of testicular cancers and most prostate cancers can be cured if caught early

Together we can make a difference as well as having some fun over the month of Movember. Please think about joining in and encouraging others.

Bring on facial hair cultivation and create a dodgy Mo!

 

 

Awkward Ailments

studenthealth Embarrassing problems , , , , , , ,

It must be twenty years since a group of us sat in a tutorial at medical school, being encouraged by our Sexual Health tutor to tell the group of all the euphemisms for ‘genitals’ that we had ever heard of.

The group moved from embarrassment (willy/ winkie), to giggle fits (woo-woo/ tuppence), to deep concentration (John Thomas?)  as we all took up the challenge. The tutorial was a success, and the colourful discussion helped us to take embarrassment out of the equation when dealing with other people’s awkward or disconcerting health complaints.

Here at Student Health we see lots of things that you might feel are embarrassing to mention, but you can be fairly sure we will have seen most of them before. And if we haven’t, well, we like a medical challenge.

The message for this blog is to reassure you that it is better to seek advice for the things that are worrying you, such as bumps on your private bits, as very occasionally they can prove to be a bit more serious, and the sooner we check them out the better. Scrotal or testicular lumps are a classic, with men of all ages being reluctant to seek a medical opinion, but it is vital that you do. If further tests are needed then a non invasive ultrasound scan will be arranged, and that really doesn’t hurt a bit, but can be life saving.

For the ladies, we are used to dealing with issues varying from the after effects of intimate waxing/ hair removal (rashes, infections, folliculitis), to ‘lost’ tampons (our nurses will retrieve them if you can’t), and itchy/ sore vulvas. One of the most effective ways to avoid the latter is to wash only with water, or possibly aqueous cream as a soap substitute, but never to use soaps/ shower gels/ bath oils/ wet wipes etc as they cause havoc with delicate skin.

Piercings are another notorious source of infections in nipples/ genitals, and need careful looking after, or removal, if not settling, as much deeper infection could follow. See us if you are concerned.

And a blog about embarrassing problems wouldn’t be complete without mentioning wee and poo, so if you noticed blood, or pain, or other significant changes when evacuating either of these, then please make an appointment with a nurse or doctor to discuss it. They usually turn out to be caused by minor ailments, but can occasionally be a sign of something more worrying.

So don’t let embarrassment damage your health! The doctors and nurses at Students Health service are here to help, and reassure you. We’ve seen it all before, and if we haven’t, then well done on making our day more interesting!