The Men’s Foundation SA Dares Men To ‘Know Thy Nuts’
Do you know your nuts? Prof. Elna McIntosh, health care practitioner and clinical sexologist, says 90% of men don’t – and they are risking their lives as a result.
Cases of testicular cancer have doubled in the past 10 years and we need to stop this!
During April, recognised as International Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, the The Men’s Foundation South Africa, a registered NGO and the Official licensee to the global men’s health awareness and fundraising programme, Movember, challenged men to take a proactive interest in their health by checking their testicles – a discipline that should be practiced year-round, according to this NGO.
According to Prof. McIntosh, testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting men, and statistics indicate that this form of cancer generally affects younger males aged 15 to 45 – and that is affecting more and more young men annually. However, it is also a cancer which has a 99% cure rate – if detected and diagnosed at an early stage.
Knowing that early detection can save lives, The Men’s Foundation has launched a campaign which encourages young men to ‘know thy nuts’ by examining their testicles when their contents can be felt most easily: during a warm shower, when the scrotal skin is relaxed.
Prof. McIntosh provides the following checklist to follow during self-examination:
- Know thy nuts: Firstly look in the mirror at your balls, get to their size and shape.
- Relax thy nuts: During a hot shower or bath, hold the scrotum in the palms of your hands.
- Feel thy nuts: Examine one testicle at a time. Use both hands to gently roll each testicle (with slight pressure) between your fingers.
- Understand thy nuts: If you detect any lumps in your testicles, then it is best to schedule an appointment with a physician – sooner rather than later!
To help put actions to words, The Men’s Foundation SA, is driving donations via sales of a testicular-shaped soap-on-a-rope – called ‘Know Thy Nuts’ – to motivate men to self-examine their genitals while in the shower, or bath. Proceeds of these sales will go towards funding survivorship and research programmes in South Africa, with the focus on men living happier, healthier and longer lives.
Garron Gsell, founder of the The Men’s Foundation SA and Country Manager for Movember SA, says that men’s health in South Africa is in a state of crisis: “By raising awareness and funds, and in turn, programme investment through official beneficiaries and NGO’s, The Men’s Foundation aims to positively influence the average life expectancy of South African men – however we can only effectively do so if men take an active stance when it comes to their health. The ‘Know Thy Nuts’ campaign puts the ball in their court”.
The Men’s Foundation also supports men’s health by generating key learnings on issues affecting this portion of the population, and offers expertadvice on how men can navigate their health.
To order your Know Thy Nuts soap-on-a-rope visit here
