Movemeber at Infosit

The echoes of Movember still ring strong at Infosit. Ever since this movement took the world by the storm, we've been inspired to devote both times and thought to men's health.

This year our organization continued its hearty support for Movember the global movement to raise male health awareness. Originating from Melbourne, Movember focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

For several years now, it has also been a part of our culture at Infosit, together with other initiatives in which we promote healthy choices. Besides our guys growing their beards and moustaches in November (which is always a welcome source of jokes), this year we explored some of the concerning stats on men's health and decided to note them on our website.

Out of 3.15 million people that were in touch with primary healthcare in Croatia in 2018, 46,5 per cent were men, and 53,5 per cent were women. From birth to death, a man in the United States has an 11.2 per cent chance of developing prostate cancer, according to Statista. Suicide is the seventh leading cause of death of men in the USA. Statista also notes that men are "often more likely than women to participate in behaviour that puts their health at risk", and "highlights the need for men to be educated on basic health and encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles."

COVID 19 brought new challenges. A UK study found that around a third of men felt their relationships with work colleagues and friends had weakened since the physical distancing restrictions had been imposed. Furthermore, more than a fifth of men reported their mental health had worsened compared with before the pandemic, and almost a third said they felt lonely more often.

Data from various sources suggests that men are less likely than women to visit family doctors or discuss their healthcare concerns and are more likely to ignore illness symptoms. Time invested in researching the Movember topics, and deepening our understanding of them, is more than well spent, as it can influence positive change in both our organization and the wider community.