Movember is an annual event, where, for the month of November, we aim to raise awareness of testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and suicide prevention.

Many of us know friends, relatives and colleagues who have been affected by these aspects of men’s health.

I am a fertility doctor with a clinic in Leicester called X&Y Fertility. As well as fertility treatments, we offer sperm freezing for fertility preservation for men diagnosed with these cancers, before they have therapies, such as chemotherapy, that may stop sperm production. If these men freeze their sperm, they can therefore have the chance to have a family after treatment.

For Movember, I am captain of a team of reproductive specialists across the UK who raise funds for the Movember Foundation. We have MoBros who grow moustaches and the MoSisters who run/ walk 60km over the 30 days (as do the MoBros too!). Why 60km? Because astonishingly 60 men commit suicide every hour globally!

Movember often means we have to do the running after work on the cold and wet Movember nights, but if it helps to support mental health, then it is a small sacrifice. 

Being part of ARCS Moustaches means that we spark conversations about why we are doing it, the health support we provide and raises awareness of the Movember Foundation. Men tend to talk less about health matters than women, so by starting these conversations, we are taking a positive and proactive step.

Last year our team raised £1300 in funds for the Movember Foundation, And as a gesture of goodwill, on 30th Movember, the barber shop, Barrow Barbers Co, in Barrow kindly shaved off my 30-day moustache for free!

Dr Bryan Woodward, X&Y Fertility