Movember and Men's Health

Movember is a worldwide charity event taking place in November each year. Raising awareness and funds for men's health, focused on prostate and testicular cancer and men's mental health and suicide prevention, Movember began as a challenge to grow a new moustache throughout November.

Men and women alike are encouraged to get involved in Movember, through additional initiatives, including Move for Mental Health and Host a Mo-Ment, or by devising their own fundraising challenge.

Since 2004, Movember has raised close to £1B. This money is used to raise awareness and fund initiatives and research into men's mental health and male cancers.

From the dense and bushy Burt Reynolds to zany Zappas and silly Salvador Dalis, every November new moustaches sprout on formally unclad upper lips. Credited with bringing the long-abandoned moustache back to the male face, Movember is one of the most recognisable charities out there.

But what exactly is Movember all about? What is all the facial fuzz for? And how can you get involved if flourishing frizzies is beyond your capability? Read on for your complete guide to all things Movember.

What is Movember? All About the Men's Health Charity

It started as an idea dreamt up by four friends; now Movember is a global charity phenomenon...

What is Movember?

Beginning in 2004, Movember has raised mo' money (over $1.8B AUD[i], that's around £92M) for men's health charities around the world. That money’s invested in preventing and addressing men’s health problems. A community-led initiative, Movember was founded to raise awareness of the issues men simply don’t talk about, with the aim of starting conversations that could prevent half of society from dying too young.

Movember partners with researchers, governments and communities in delivering education, training, and community awareness programs. They're also involved in driving men's health policy and research.

Vitally, Movember's unique idea – growing a moustache for thirty days – is intended to start conversations. Because when you're a wearer of a tufty top lip you better believe people will ask questions.

What is Movember in aid of?

Movember supports men's health issues. In particular, Movember was founded to raise awareness of and funds for prostate cancer and testicular cancer, as well as men's mental health and suicide prevention.

Getting men's health on the agenda across the globe, Movember isn't just a fundraising movement; it's also behind the Movember Institute. Linking researchers, clinicians and other experts, the Movember Institute invests in world-leading research into men's health for real-world solutions. The Movember Institute:

Improves health services
Provides men with the tools they need when facing health issues
Challenges cultural norms around men’s health
Provides information to help men stay healthy

When is Movember? Who's involved?

Movember takes place every November. Changing men's health (and faces) for more than twenty years, the charity has gone from strength to strength with hundreds of thousands of people – a whopping 291,053 in 2025 alone[ii] - signing up to support the charity each November.

In addition to Mo Bros getting involved in the moustachioed month, brands can't resist jumping on board too. Among others, Movember has partnered with:

The National Trust, who added a temporary moustache to the Cerne Abbas giant
Royal Mail, who created a moustache-inspired postmark
Qantas, who painted a moustache onto their aeroplane
Video game Football Manager 2015, whose characters grew moustaches during November

Movember's moustache growing antics might be fun, but the message behind the mo is deadly serious.

Movember and prostate cancer

Prostate cancer affects 1.4M men worldwide every year[iii]. Most common in men over 50, prostate cancer attacks the prostate gland, located just under the bladder, which makes semen, the fluid that transports sperm.

Symptoms of prostate cancer include[iv]:

Urinary issues, including weak flow, difficulty getting started, urgency and feeling the need to pass urine more often
Erectile dysfunction
Blood in your urine/semen
Lower back pain
Unintentional weight loss

Treatment for prostate cancer may not be necessary. However, when it is, this type of cancer is curable for many. Treatment might include[v]:

Surgery to remove the prostate gland
Radiotherapy or chemotherapy to kill cancer cells
Hormone therapy to slow the cancer and alleviate symptoms
HIFU ultrasound therapy or cryotherapy to kill cancer cells

Movember and testicular cancer

The most common cancer in younger men aged 15 to 49[vi], testicular cancer is highly curable, with a survival rate of 95%[vii]. Usually affecting a single testicle (though both can be involved), symptoms of testicular cancer include[viii]:

Testicular lump or swelling
Pain/ache in the testicle
Testicle getting bigger
Firm, hard or heavy scrotum
Lower back or stomach pain
Unintentional weight loss
Chest problems like a cough, difficulty breathing or soreness

If tests confirm testicular cancer, treatment options can include surgery to remove the testicle, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. Because chemotherapy and radiotherapy can affect fertility, those with testicular cancer are offered the option to sperm bank.

Movember, men's mental health and suicide prevention

According to the Samaritans, the male suicide rate is over 17 per 100,000[ix], with men making up 74% of all UK suicides[x]. Research shows men can find it especially difficult to talk about mental wellbeing, with significantly fewer seeking help for their mental health than women[xi]. This is commonly due to:

Gender norms: stereotyping of men as needing to be ‘strong’
Misunderstanding of mental health issues: portraying anxiety, depression or addiction as weakness
Fear of response: being mocked or told to ‘man up’ by others
Cultural expectations: black men, for example, are more likely to be sectioned yet also hide mental health issues due to expectations of masculinity and barriers to help[xii]

How to Get Involved in Movember

There are many ways to get involved in Movember, from growing the trademark moustache to hosting a Mo-ment...

Growing a moustache for Movember

Movember has changed the way we think about our faces. Since the early 2000s, the much-maligned moustache has made a massive comeback, thanks in no small part to the Movember challenge: going thirty days razor-free to cultivate a fabulous philtrum furnishing.

Those committing to becoming a Mo Bro sign up to wear a moustache for the entirety of November. Not only is this intended as a conversation starter, most participants collect sponsorship too, raising funds for the Movember cause.

No to the mo? Other ways to support Movember

If you're unable or unwilling to grow a moustache, there are other ways to support Movember, including:

Move for Mental Health: dedicated to the 60 men lost to suicide globally each hour[xiii], Move asks participants to run or walk 60km across November
Host a Mo-Ment: dedicated Movember-themed events, Mo-Ments raise awareness and/or funds for the charity. Your Mo-Ment could be anything from a men’s health talk in the workplace to a pub quiz or fundraising fun run
Mo Your Own Way: Movember encourages participants to take part in whatever way they wish. You might aim to complete a gaming marathon, take on a hiking challenge or conquer a skydive, all to raise vital awareness

Can women take part in Movember?

Movember isn't just for the bros, women are welcomed with open arms too, as Mo Sistas. While gals might not be able to cultivate a coiffure upon their countenance, they're encouraged to take part in one of the three other ways Movember participants can fundraise and draw attention to the charity's aims of improving men's physical and mental health.