Blue November: learn about the campaign and its importance.

As another October comes to an end, we say goodbye to pink and enter the blue. That's because, in the penultimate month of the year, the Pink October campaign gives way to Blue November.

What is Blue November?

I'm sure you've heard of this campaign too. After all, it's probably one of the most famous awareness campaigns – second only to the well-known Pink October.

For those who still don't know what it's about, Blue November is the official campaign for raising awareness and fighting prostate cancer.

Throughout the month, the disease – which, after skin cancer, is the most common type of cancer affecting men – is the focus of events, debates, and a range of other informative content, all aimed at raising awareness.

Currently, prostate cancer is the leading type of recurrent tumor in men over 50 years of age.

And, because it is a slow and silent disease in most cases, it raises a red flag regarding the importance of conducting tests for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the disease.

Despite having this specific focus, over time the campaign has become an excellent tool for generating discussions about men's health in general, and how important care is for men – of all ages – who seek better health for their daily lives.

What is the origin of the Blue November campaign?

The campaign, which originated in Australia, took its first steps in 2003, and had a somewhat curious beginning: a group of friends started the movement by growing their mustaches over the course of a month, with the aim of drawing attention to the topic of "men's health".

It was from this action that the Movember Foundation emerged – a play on words with "November" and "moustache," which, when translated into Portuguese, mean November and mustache.

Nowadays, the mustache symbol is also widely used during Movember campaigns around the world.

The month has also become a symbol of this fight because of November 17th, World Prostate Cancer Day.

The main objectives of the Blue November campaign

Just like Pink October – which represents breast cancer awareness – and other campaigns that are represented by colors throughout the year, the main focus of Blue November is raising societal awareness about the disease.

The main objective of the campaign is to highlight the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of prostate cancer and other diseases that affect men's health as a whole.

By consistently emphasizing the importance of regular checkups for the earliest possible diagnosis of the disease, the patient can begin appropriate medical treatment and thus increase their chances of recovery.

Another barrier the campaign faces is the resistance from some of the male population to undergoing prostate exams.

Because of how the examination is performed – through a digital rectal exam – it's not uncommon to find men who, despite being in the age range where this procedure is recommended, have absolutely no desire to have it done.

This type of attitude – most often driven by pure prejudice – only contributes to the growth of misinformation about the subject, resulting in more and more patients who have the disease without even knowing it, and only realize it when the cancer is already in more advanced stages of development.

That's why the Blue November campaign is so important for men's health.

The Blue November campaign in Brazil

Here in Brazil, the campaign didn't take long to arrive. In 2008, Movember was brought to Brazil by the Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida, along with the Brazilian Society of Urology (SBU).

The campaign was adapted to Brazilian tastes and became the Blue November campaign we know today.

When discussing the disease here in Brazil, one of the biggest barriers the campaign faces is the presence of taboos built up by society regarding the digital rectal exam.

During the campaigns that have taken place every year since 2008, the main focus is on dismantling prejudices that prevent many men from seeking to learn more about the disease and about getting tested if they are over 45 or 50 years old.

Over the years, the campaign has gained momentum and today it is one of the most famous, along with Pink October and the more recent Yellow September.

Here in Brazil, awareness campaigns are marked by events, debates, and outreach efforts about prostate cancer, such as lectures on preventative measures and campaigns promoting regular screenings for the disease.

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Conclusion

As you can see, Blue November is just as important a campaign as its predecessor.

But raising awareness about prostate cancer is even more necessary, given that a large portion of the male population, for various reasons, end up putting their health on the back burner, not treating it as a priority.

Talking about the campaign is also important so that some paradigms and taboos about masculinity can be broken once and for all, causing men to start paying due attention to their health, whether physical or mental.

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