Prostate cancer - knowledge through humour

Thanks to Dr Mark Miller for putting me on to this clip.

Men's Forum

Wednesday night the 20^th the M.E.N. (Men’s Engagement Network) held the forum  ‘The Next Step A New Focus On Men’  at the Gospel Centre on George main road.

In spite of the appalling weather 18 people attended and were treated to a range of interesting and entertaining speakers who spoke about the need for the Southern Fleurieu to step up its support of men’s health.

The two speakers who are men that attend the fortnightly Men’s Get Together spoke passionately about how this group has provided a space for them to engage with other men on a personal level where they have been supported to share their stories, their dramas and thier achievements. They delivered hearfelt stories of the need to engage with other men and their community.

Mark Miller GP from Goolwa delivered a brilliant, easy to understand view of men as whole beings and clearly identified aspects of men’s health that need to be addressed. This covers such areas as preventative health (addressing young men about lifestyle and media pressures) to , of course prostate health and prostate examinations.

One of the outcomes of this evening were the clear links of support being developed across the region for men. From the Men’s Shed currently operating out of the Encounter Centre, to the Dad and Kids group in Goolwa, the reforming mens carer group and many others. It was also a great pleasure to have Victor Harbor Mayor  …….. give a spontaneous talk about his own personal journey through some health issues and his ideas about the positive outcomes of men’s engagement and the roll that council might be able to play in supporting new initiatives.

The forum finished with the presentation of a constitution (and registrations of interest to be a member) for incorporating the M.E.N. into a body able to provide links and supports to all initiatives on the Southern Fleurieu that support the furthering of Men’s Health.

If you would like and information regarding the forum, or would like to be a member of the M.E.N or need any information regarding men.s health initiatives on the Southern Fleurieu contact the Southern Fleurieu Men’s Health worker on ….

Southern Fleurieu Health Service

You know there are lots of services/supports around for us men when you start looking. I'm not saying that we have ENOUGH supports, just that there are some locally. One of those is the Southern Fleurieu health Service. While most of the supports they offer are not JUST for men, we can still access them. Things like:
Social Workers
Mental health teams
Physio
Men's Health worker (me) hehe
Carer support (Men's Carers Group)
How to be active - get involved
Support with diet and exercise
Disability Support
Nurse or volunteer visits
and I am sure lot's more that I have not mentioned.

If you think you need someone to help you access the maze of services available to you. Give me a call on 8552 9214 or 0422459660. Or you can always drop me an email or make a comment on this blog. I reckon it's time to start using what we have in greater numbers.

Goolwa Dad's and Kid's dinners

There has been some talk of combining one of the Men's Get Togethers ( Most often held in Victor) and  one of the Goolwa Dad's and Kid's dinners ( Most often held in Goolwa) together. More men meeting more men. Sounds like a winner to me.

Stay tuned

Men's Health Forum - The Next Step

The Men's Engagement Network M.E.N.

Invites you to a

Men’s Health Forum

‘The Next Step

A New Focus On Men’

(For all men, people who work with men and people who live with men on the Southern Fleurieu)

·        Welcome

·        Introduction

·        Consumer Stories

·        Dr Mark Miller -Men’s Health  - the whole man

·        From 2011 –2012: Positive Steps

·        Presentation of the M.E.N. Constitution

·        Closing

Come along to this FREE forum: Hear what has happened since the first community consultation for men’s health needs on the Southern Fleurieu.

When:      Wednesday 20th, June

Where:     The Gospel Centre: 2 George                      

                  Main Rd, Victor Harbor

Time:         6pm til 8pm

For more information contact

Bill Harris 8552 3004 or

Greg Moore 0419850066

Men's Health Week

Next week from June 11th -17th is International Men's Health Week. Why is this important? Well according to the Men's Health Week Website..http://www.menshealthweek.org.au/En/Pages/ee4d91/Why-Men-s-Health.aspx

A boy born in Australia in 2010 has a life expectancy of 78.0 years while a baby girl born at the same time could expect to live to 82.3 years old.  Right from the start, boys suffer more illness, more accidents and die earlier than their female counterparts.

Men take their own lives at four times the rate of women (that's five men a day, on average).  Accidents, cancer and heart disease all account for the majority of male deaths:

Standardised Death Rate				Percent Of Total Deaths
	Male	Female	Male:Female	Male	Female
Underlying cause of death	Per 100 000	Per 100 000	Ratio	%	%
Prostate cancer	31	-	..	4.1	..
Suicide	16.1	4.4	3.6	2.3	0.7
Transport accidents	9.6	3.2	3	1.4	0.5
Skin cancer	12	4.7	2.6	1.7	0.9
Diseases of the liver	9.3	4	2.3	1.4	0.7
Parkinson's disease	7.8	3.7	2.1	1	0.8
Lung cancer	47.9	23.5	2	6.8	4.1
Ischaemic heart disease	126.7	72.7	1.7	16.9	15.9
Chronic lower respiratory disease	34.6	21	1.6	4.6	4.1
Stroke	49.5	47	1.1	6.4	10.3

The above figures are taken from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.  Furthermore, there are specific populations of marginalised men for whom the health status is far worse even that this.

These marginalised groups include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, refugees, men in prison or newly released from prison and men of low socioeconomic standing.

Men's Health Week has a direct focus on the health impacts of men's and boys' environments.  It serves to ask two questions:

• What factors in men's and boy's environments contribute to the status of male health as indicated in the table above?
• How can we turn that around and create positive environments in men's and boy's lives?

Dads with depression

Here is a fantastic recording from radio national about dad's With Depression. Real discussion about how fam ily and work both can become  places that are not helpful for dads with depression. The guests on this show are John Clark a father of three, and Richard Flethcer from the fathers and research program at Newcastle University.

You will here John talk a bout how HE was blamed for being quiet, angry, removed when really he had depression! Not his fault. This is a great recording. John figured out how to talk to his wife and children about his depression.

Go HERE to listen