Main Street News

November marks National Men’s Health Awareness Month – a time that is dedicated to raising awareness for critical physical and mental health issues affecting men. Beyond general wellness – encouraging routine primary care checkups, monitoring blood pressure, doing cholesterol screenings, and getting bloodwork done – there’s also a focus on mental health, suicide prevention, and men’s cancers.

Mental health

As for mental health, many tend to struggle in silence. Because of stigma, cultural expectations, or the belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness, men are significantly less likely than women to seek professional treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate among men in 2024 was nearly four times higher than among females. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America cited that although men account for nearly 80% of suicide deaths in the US, many men never tap the help of mental health care experts. 

For generations, many have been told to “man up,” “stay strong,” or “deal with it.” These messages can make it harder for men to speak openly about emotional pain, physical pain, stress, grief, or anxiety, leading many men to suffer alone. 

Cancer education, prevention and treatment

This month, the healthcare community also highlights the cancers that affect men, notably prostate cancer and testicular cancer. According to Weill Cornell Medicine, testicular cancer is the most common cancer found in men aged 15 to 44. It’s fairly rare and very treatable. With early diagnosis, testicular cancer can be cured. With treatment, the risk of death is small. 

Weill Cornell Medicine also shares the facts about prostate cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the US, behind lung cancer. The earlier the cancer is caught and treated, the more likely the patient will remain disease-free. In fact, treatment success rates are high when caught early compared with most other types of cancer in the body.

Join the Movember Movement

All the important topics, from general wellness to mental health, testicular cancer and prostate cancer, are part of the Movember Movement – an annual event that encourages men to grow mustaches in an effort to raise awareness for men’s health issues. Using the visibility of the mustaches to raise awareness, Movember aims to “change the face of men’s health.”

Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, Movember is a portmanteau of the Australian-English abbreviated word for moustache, which is “mo” and “November.” Now a worldwide movement, the Movember campaign emerged from a simple idea to recruit men to grow moustaches and kickstart a much-needed conversation about men’s health. 

According to the World Health Organization, in places where men and women face the same disease, men often seek health care less than women do. They also tend to die younger than women, a factor that is heavily driven by their tendency to delay or avoid visiting a doctor when symptoms appear.

This Movember, men are encouraged to “Make a Growmitment” to help change aspects of men’s health. The campaign asks supporters to start clean shaven on November 1 and grow their mustaches as part of this month-long mission. Participants then donate the expenses they typically spend on hair-maintenance products and tools to Movember’s cancer and health research charities. It’s a win for all. 

All are welcome to join the campaign. In addition to participating, invite your friends to participate with you, or host a Movember event. Other ways to get involved include signing up to raise funds or make donations through movember.com. The revenue raised via the campaign benefits the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, which unites researchers, clinicians, and partners worldwide. It focuses on prevention and early action and invests in cutting-edge research. It also uses its knowledge and data to create real-world solutions, which in turn, provide men with the tools they need to stay healthier. From improving health services to challenging cultural norms, the Movember Institute of Men’s Health ensures that the valuable dollars raised translate into real, year-round impact for men’s health. 

Men’s Cancer 101

Since this month’s men’s health initiatives focus on testicular cancer and prostate cancer, November is a good time to get the facts about these diseases. The Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation wants you to join the November men’s health movement by encouraging the men in your lives to learn the facts, perform monthly self-exams, and speak openly about men’s health.

Some facts: Testicular cancer, which is on the rise in the US, can strike at any age. Every hour a male in the US is diagnosed. About 1 in 250 men will develop testicular cancer at some point in their lifetime. Last year, it was projected that approximately 600 deaths would occur in the US from this disease. The good news: testicular cancer is 95% curable when detected early.

Warning signs and symptoms include a painless lump of any size or swelling in either testicle; enlargement of the testicle, change in shape, size, how the testicle feels, or any irregularities; pain or discomfort in the scrotum or testicle; a dull ache or sense of pressure in the lower abdomen or back; a feeling of heaviness or fullness in the scrotum; or an enlargement or tenderness of the breasts due to elevated hormone levels.

Advanced signs and symptoms include significant weight loss (due to the growth of tumors and/or enlarged abdominal lymph nodes); low back pain; chest pain, coughing or difficulty breathing; coughing up blood (due to tumors in the lungs); or enlargement of the lymph nodes in the abdomen and/or neck.

It’s time to act. Take some time out to perform a self-exam and remind your friends and relatives to do theirs. 

Prostate Cancer

Although there are many different types of prostate diseases, men tend to have two common issues: an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. First, let’s recap what the prostate is. The prostate is a gland that sits below the bladder and surrounds the urethra – the tube that carries urine from the bladder. The fluid in semen is made in the prostate. 

According to Weill Cornell Medicine, men may be at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer if they are 50 years old or older; are African American; or have a close family member who has prostate cancer, breast, or ovarian cancer. 

Enlarged prostate is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia. The prostate naturally grows with age. As it grows, it can press on the urethra. The older a man is, the more likely he will have BPH. Some men may start having symptoms in their 40s. Nearly all men who live to be 80 or older will have BPH. 

BPH is not the same as prostate cancer. Although it is not life-threatening, BPH can decrease quality of life. It may cause bladder incontinence; difficulty emptying the bladder; or frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom. It may also cause pain when urinating, create difficulty in starting the stream of urine, or result in the weak flow of urine.

It is usually diagnosed based on medical history, a digital rectal exam, and a blood test that looks for high levels of prostate-specific antigen, which is a protein produced by the prostate. 

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men aged 55 to 69 make individual, informed decisions about prostate cancer screening after talking with their clinician. Prostate cancer tends to be very slow growing, and screening has pros and cons. 

Today’s youth and Looksmaxxing

There’s another topic impacting the wellbeing of young men. Referred to as “Looksmaxxing,” it is a growing online movement that pushes young men to take appearance obsession to unhealthy and sometimes dangerous extremes.

According to Nebraska Medicine – a non-profit academic health system in Omaha, looksmaxxing encourages young men to maximize their physical appearance. What started about a decade ago in Internet spaces often referred to as the “manosphere,” has grown through social media. A key feature of the trend is its community-driven nature. Young men post photos of themselves and solicit online feedback about how to elevate their looks.

Nebraska Medicine also mentioned that looksmaxxing exists on a spectrum. While “softmaxxing” refers to lifestyle changes that fall within a generally healthy range – getting better sleep, eating well, exercising, and following a skincare routine, “hardmaxxing” involves more extreme, potentially harmful measures, including plastic surgery, and in some cases, the use of dangerous substances.

Nebraska Medicine referred to “bone smashing,” which involves hitting the jaw with a hard object, as one of the more extreme practices associated with looksmaxxing. It is based on the false belief that this can reshape the jawline. There’s also “mewing,” an unproven technique focused on tongue positioning that is intended to alter the jaw’s structure. 

Leah Jesse, MD, Nebraska Medicine, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, explained why looksmaxxing is resonating with young men. “The biggest developmental task of adolescence is identity formation,” said Dr. Jesse. “A big part of that is when a boy pulls away from his family and looks to peers to understand his sense of self, his identity and his place in the world.”

She explained that technology has changed how that process unfolds. Instead of working through those questions with friends and peers in person, many young men are turning to online communities. Looksmaxxing can offer a sense of purpose, peer connection, and social belonging. Much of this content shows up on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where algorithms are designed to keep users engaged. 

“Once a young man starts looking at this content, it’s going to feed him more and more,” added Dr. Jesse. She explained that the “like” function reinforces continued engagement in much the same way gambling does. Unpredictable rewards trigger dopamine surges and drive young men to return.

Dr. Jesse noted that there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel your best, but concern arises when self-improvement becomes an obsession. She worries about body dysmorphic disorder – a condition in which a person becomes intensely preoccupied with perceived flaws that others around them cannot see or would not consider significant.

She pointed to some warning signs that may signal parents or loved ones that looksmaxxing has crossed into unhealthy territory. They include significant amounts of time spent on appearance-related routines, to the point that skipping them or doing them imperfectly causes distress; noticeable changes in eating habits or a shift toward highly restrictive eating; increased time spent online and withdrawal from in-person activities and friendships; radical changes in peer groups; spending significant money on grooming products, procedures, or supplements; and persistent preoccupation with specific physical features, particularly ones others don’t notice.

Dr. Jesse recommends approaching these conversations with curiosity rather than judgment. Ask about what they’re noticing and what they’re searching for. Rather than using an accusing attitude, Dr. Jesse suggested using a “Hey, I’ve noticed this change” kind of approach. If you are concerned, speak with a mental health professional. •