The reasons are largely preventable, meaning this doesn’t have to be the case and there is more that we can do.
Movember places a significant focus on men’s mental health, as the statistics on mental health and suicide are alarming.
In Australia, two in five men die prematurely, before they are 75 years old with suicide the leading cause of death among men aged 15-44 years and the second leading cause of death of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
Although it was the third leading cause of premature death among men in the years 2020-2022, suicide accounted for the highest number of years of life lost (80,958 years).
In 2023, there were 3214 deaths by suicide, an average of about 9 deaths per day with men losing an average of 35.1 years.
Of the 20% of Australians with a mental illness in any one year, 11.5% have one disorder and 8.5% have two or more disorders. Almost half (45%) of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.
Breaking down mental health statistics by gender locally is extremely challenging with the 2021 census our closest, and most recent source of data for statistics.
Movember also sheds light on the prevalence of prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian males.
It is estimated that over 26,400 cases will be diagnosed in 2024, constituting 28% of all cancers in men.
Prostate cancer continues to be the 2nd most common cause of death from cancer in Australian men (after lung cancer) and according to AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) data, males continue to be more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, although the difference in age-adjusted incidence rates between males and females in 2024 is less than it was in 2000.
The most recent date from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia shows deaths from prostate cancer have risen by around 30% since 2007, with more than 3,900 men estimated to die from this disease in 2024 – that’s over 11 men a day.
However, 95.8% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive for at least five years and 91% will live more than 10 years. Over 250,000 Australian men are alive today after being diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in the past 37 years.
Nearly 72 Australian men are diagnosed every day, with 1 in 5 at risk of being diagnosed by the time they turn 85 years old, according to the estimates.
In addition to mental health and prostate cancer, Movember also emphasises testicular cancer.
It is estimated that 1026 men across Australia will be diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2024 with the average age of diagnosis being 36 years old.
The likelihood of a male being diagnosed with testicular cancer by the age of 85 is 1 in 181 (0.55%), with a five-year survival rate increasing in the past two decades to now exceed 98%.
These statistics highlight the importance of communities coming together, checking in on their mates, and fostering conversations about men’s health all year round, not just throughout November.
It’s time to take action for healthier, happier, and longer lives.
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