Why is there not a large prostate cancer awareness movement like there is for breast cancer?
I ask this considering prostate cancer is more prevalent than breast cancer. Good god. I am not complaining. I am just wondering why there isn't one. Gwennie B, that is such a stereotpye. Believe it or not, most men are capable of being mature adults. I'm sorry to say it, but your mentality about men is childish. No harm done, Gwennie.
Gender Studies - 19 Answers
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1 :
It is not a very fast moving cancer.
2 :
Awareness movements are started by one person or group of people who persistently fundraise and campaign for whichever cause they are fighting for/against. This is how breast cancer movements got started. A small group of people saw a problem and decided to work towards fixing that problem. They planned, prepared and strategized. If you want more awareness about prostate cancer then get a group of your guys together and hit the pavement. You can't just sit around and expect someone to create awareness for you. edit: Nice Guy it's not a scapegoat answer. Every movement has to start somewhere so if when is concerned about a particular illness or what have you then it's reasonable to suggest they enlist the help of others to start some kind of group organization. I have lost a male family member due to cancer. I lost my father to breast cancer three years ago. I've been actively involved in local breast cancer organizations since he was diagnosed when I was 15.
3 :
I think that, when a certain disease is highlighted more than others, its usually because the victims of that disease are the ones that don't go to the doctor and don't get check-ups. A lot of women think that they're too young to get breast cancer, and a lot of women don't even know how to give a self-breast exam. Maybe more men should get together and start their own 'prostate cancer' movement. Might I suggest turquoise for the color of your organization?
4 :
I love this question. I ask my wife often why there is currently a commercial out there letting us know that so many women will die from heart disease, etc. I love my mom to death. I am wondering though, why is it that we focus on women's health much more than a man's? I think people dont care about men as much- we just need to work hard, pay bills and die fast.
5 :
because women cant get it! Anything specific to men is always going to take a back seat to women's issues. I would also ask why is it that all the breast cancer ads fail to point out the number of men who get it each year! I had prostate cancer in my early 20's while in the Navy, Thankfully I beat it. I understand the prejudices that the Politically Correct masses have. Hell when some dumb ass ad pops up for Viagra or Cialis you always have a woman pitching its benefits to her. Hair club for men, has women saying how much more they love their man now that he has hair.
6 :
I don't think it kills as many people as breast cancer. Usually your so old by the time you get it that it's pretty much time to check out any way. Men don't get all worked up about things like this the way women do. Women love a good reason to get together and cry and share and all that stuff.
7 :
honestly people sympathize with women more then men
8 :
Because men die with not from it. The five year survival rate is 99%. It doesn't grow fast. The ways men get checked are a PSA blood test and a rectal exam. Get men to get them done and it gets even better. If you want a movement just do it!
9 :
Because the world is far more focused on women and men are very squeamish about testing.
10 :
Because of Dan.
11 :
I have a feeling a lot of it has to do with the fact that most men would like to forget that they have prostates at all. Mention it and most men in a room will tighten up reactively, trying to shake away the idea of colonoscopies, uncomfortable moments where the place they keep the most private is invaded, often with connotations in their minds of homosexuality and "not being a real man" by being "violated" there. Women take a certain amount of pride in their breasts, often. At the very least, they aren't stigmatized as much as most straight men's prostates and butts are. EDIT: I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to imply that all men are that way, and I like to believe that men are more mature and professional about their health. I was merely positing this as one reason, at least for some men. Whenever I sort of try and gauge the cultural attitude towards prostate health, it seems like we're still stuck in the dark ages. We joke about it, talk about it less than women's gynecological health (as your question cites), and it just seems like this has to at least be a factor, right? When we have TV jokes like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHKTE75dgE4 EDIT: Martillo1: Wow, I'm not sure where the anger is coming from. I don't purport to be an expert on straight men, or men at all. Heck, I don't purport to be an expert on women, either. I'm just offering this up as one explanation. Seriously . . . does nobody see the "I have a feeling" that precedes my hypothesis? I'm not saying it's fact . . .
12 :
Our society has been feminized. Everything must be done to protect women while men are tossed aside. Look how the government spends money on women's health. It far outspends men's health. As another poster mentioned, commercials like cialis, viagra, axe, hair products etc. all send the message that it's about what's best for HER. It's HIS body but those products are all about the wife or girlfriend. Forget about what's healthy because god forbid the woman doesn't get her way. More examples of the double standards in society.
13 :
Gwennie-I see your top contributor for glbt, maybe you should be top contritbutor for men's health since your such an expert on straight men. Gwennie-OK, I am sorry, you are right, I missed that first part. I'll got to the beer, wine, and spirts forum, have a drink and relax.
14 :
There is in Australia what are you talking about? There is the prostate cancer month (September,) the sky blue ribbons the proceeds go to finding a cure. They have campaigned numerous ads aimed at males to get checked out before it's too late. I do think there still needs to be more attention, but it's not like people don't care because we do! My family and I support it every year.
15 :
There is generally more focus on diseases that affect women now, due partly to the fact that women's diseases (breast cancer does affect men, but not very often, enough that it really could be considered a gendered disease) weren't always given the same treatment as men's diseases for years. Now we've gone the opposite way on these things. I do believe, however, that if someone started a movement, it would take off, assuming they knew what they were doing and had money, which we don't all have. All it really would take is someone like Lance Armstrong with testicular cancer, although Armstrong used his yellow ribbons to promote all kinds of cancer. Here, I think, if there is any problem, we'd run into it. For whatever reason, it's not socially acceptable to only focus on men these days, and I do think if there was a large enough movement somebody would complain about that too. However, by and large I think it would be embraced.
16 :
The Breast Cancer people just managed to hit on a marketing gold mine. If only all disease campaigners were this successful. I've seen men here getting bitter about all the attention it gets but it's hardly a man vs woman issue. Women get other cancers and diseases too that don't get this much attention. You can't blame people for their success.
17 :
They do campaigns on it in Canada, blue ribbon, like the pink ribbon for breast cancer. Not sure about other countries since I don't live int hem or ask people about it. It is an awful lot less advertised and publicized than breast cancer though, that's for sure.
18 :
in Australia there is a small start to the prostate issue. tv ads and that's about it it was privately funded by one who was dying from it originally & gathered mo-mention and the powers that be could not refute the evidence. so now begrudgingly the govt has started to recognize the issue of men's health the budget has almost doubled to the men's health programs but it is far from enough to even scratch the surface as double of nothing is still nothing that is an exaggeration but you get the idea to bring the Govt funding to parallel with woman's health herewill not happen. well i don't have the figures but on a % basics out of 100% men's health gets around 3% compared to woman's health 97% it is the squeaky wheal that gets the oil
19 :
There is, there was Movember, there's an ad on TV and in chemists here with the guy from "The Castle" talking about checking your prostate and actually it was in the news today: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/02/2505527.htm I think the reason it's more taboo is because checking it involves sticking your finger up your bum...sorry but true. That's what the ad on TV was about, to try and make people not feel weird about it. Also I agree with Eileen, people with breast cancer experience started their movement, if you're unhappy start one for prostate cancer. It does take people to get things done. Some movements have more strength than others, that's just the way it is. Why is there a bigger fuss about FGM compared to MGM? I campaign against the second one... Harriet
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