One Nation Our People Youth Club founder Abdul Zorhab says prostate cancer is a health issue that is not discussed enough, especially among men.
He said men who struggled to deal with health issues alone were more likely to succumb to the illness.
“This is also an issue of mental health,” he said.
“Our youth group is a very strong advocate of mental health and that connects to our physical health as well.
“And one of the illnesses that affects men the most is prostate cancer which is why we have been creating awareness on it, especially among our members.
“We have a total of 42 registered members, 28 of them being young men.”
Mr Zorhad said despite it being an uncomfortable subject, he had begun discussions with his youth club members on the disease.
“For me it’s very important to talk about an illness like prostate cancer among our group members.
“At this age we have to know that this is a disease that affects us and can take so much away from us.
“We have to know and understand the symptoms that come with this disease and we have to also know that taking preventative measures is very important.
“We encourage each other to get ourselves checked early and also talk about it with other male members of our communities.”
He said the group had been sporting moustaches over the past few weeks to signify their support for the annual Movember initiative.
“From the beginning of November we have been creating awareness on the importance of Movember by not only talking about it but also encouraging ‘no shave November’.
“This is to allow people to ask us why we are doing what we’re doing and that again creates an opportunity for us to discuss this very important issue.”
Symptoms Some common symptoms or signs that there could be issues with prostate include – difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine and frequent urination, especially at night.
Other symptoms that men need to look out for include difficulty emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during urination and blood in the urine or semen.
Men should also get themselves checked if they experience pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that does not go away and if they have painful ejaculation during intercourse.
How to reduce the risk of cancer? The Health Ministry says leading a healthy lifestyle is a very good way to reduce the risk of cancer.
Some of the ways Fijian men can do this is by not smoking, eating a healthy diet, being active and maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol intake, practising safe sex and avoiding risky behaviour and getting regular tests.
About 30 to 40 Fijian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.
