The Tribune

By GREGGORY PINTO

Movember is an annual worldwide event in the month of November that is geared towards the health awareness of men. Men throughout the world are encouraged to not shave during November and grow a moustache as a sign of solidarity and unity in the effort to emphasis the importance of men’s health awareness.

The heath issues of prostate cancer and testicular cancer as well as male mental health and suicide prevention are emphasised.

One in seven Bahamian men suffer from diabetes or are pre-diabetic.

One in five Bahamian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and more than 90 men in the Bahamas die often needlessly every year from prostate cancer that has a 99 percent cure rate if diagnosed at an early stage.

Hundreds more Bahamian men are diagnosed every year with advanced prostate cancer that is beyond the curative stage. Knowledge is key in the fight against needless prostate cancer deaths in our Bahama land. Being of African ancestry is one of the greatest risk factors for prostate cancer. Men of African ancestry often develop a more aggressive form of prostate cancer that afflicts them six to seven years earlier than prostate cancer typically afflicts their other racial counterparts.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer that afflicts Bahamian men, but the wonderful news is that prostate cancer can have an excellent cure rate when diagnosed early and many treatment options are available, including non-surgical curative treatments such as external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy which involves placing low dose or high dose radioactive seeds into the prostate that kills only the prostate cancer cells or high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy.

The other prostate problem, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), affects even larger numbers of Bahamian men, with urinary symptoms of a weak urinary stream, incomplete bladder emptying, frequent and urgent urination and even urinary incontinence/leak. BPH can be successfully managed with medications or minimally invasive procedures if necessary.

Erectile dysfunction affects every man at some point in their lives. Most Bahamian men are reluctant to seek a urologist’s consult for their erectile dysfunction.

You can always rise again.

The cause of the erectile dysfunction must be addressed and not just taking medications to counteract the symptoms. The causes may be related to heart disease, undiagnosed or poorly controlled high blood pressure and/or diabetes, high cholesterol, low testosterone, among a multitude of varying causes that need to be investigated and treated.

Men are very reluctant to seek medical help for depression or psychiatric issues and unfortunately many Bahamian men live their lives in silent distress when confidential and highly effective professional mental health care is readily available.

Men represent eight out of every 10 suicides.

Men die on average six years earlier than women and often from preventable illnesses.

Movember tries to emphasise the importance of health care for men so that men can live happier, healthier and longer lives.

We need to get men to eat healthier, get routine exercise and seek help from their doctors.

We need to change the culture of silence among Bahamian men, who far too often suffer for years with various health issues and never seek medical help.

Confidential, compassionate and comprehensive health care is readily available.

Bahamian men and residents November is coming to an end but let us all collectively improve the quality of the lives of men in this beautiful country every single month of every year.

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a board-certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue, Nassau, Telephone (242) 322-1145-7; email: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com