UPMC Urology Grows 'Mos' for Men's Health Awareness

By Rick Pietzak

It might be mid-November for most of us. But for many men across the world, it's actually mid-Movember.

Each November, things get a little hairier as men around the world try to grow their best Tom Selleck or Charlie Chaplin moustaches to support men’s health research.  The funds raised in the U.S. support prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives.

Benjamin Davies, M.D.

At UPMC, Team UPMC Urology has raised more than $1,600 to date for the cause. Benjamin Davies, M.D., a urologic oncologist who leads the team in donations, said the fundraiser is a lighthearted way to bring attention to a serious issue.

"Prostate and testicular cancer affects thousands of men in the U.S. every year and this is just a small way that we can spread the word about these serious and often deadly diseases," said Dr. Davies, also an assistant professor of urology at the University of Pitttsburgh School of Medicine.

The Movember campaign started in 2003 with two friends from Melbourne, Australia, who wondered where the moustache had gone and discussed  bringing it back. Movember has since become a global event designed to raise awareness, education and research funding for issues related to men’s health. In 2011, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas raised more than $15 million worldwide. 

Members of the UPMC team are excited to contribute to the cause - even if it's not always the easiest thing to do.

"It's extremely uncomfortable, but I am doing it for science," Dr. Davies says with a laugh.

For more information and more photos, visit Team UPMC Urology’s Movember and Sons page here.