THIS YEAR’S “MOVEMBER” BRINGS A BIG CHANGE

The new Movember, the month dedicated to raising awareness about men’s health, officially begins on November 1 with the traditional shaving event. The citizens’ association Superbrke is once again organizing the local edition of this global campaign — but this time, in a completely new way.

The beginning will follow tradition. On Friday, November 1 at 6 PM, at the Banja Luka café “Pause,” barbers from Exit BarberShop will offer free beard shaving, allowing men to grow only their mustaches throughout the month — the recognizable symbol of the Movember movement.

However, this year’s campaign brings a major change in focus. After 12 years of promoting awareness about testicular cancer, Superbrke have decided to shift attention toward the prevention of prostate cancer.

“We decided to take a step forward because Movember, as a global movement, is about much more than reproductive health. It also emphasizes other aspects of men’s well-being — both physical and mental,” explained Dr. Obren Tomić, Vice President of Superbrke.

The importance of this focus is supported by worrying statistics: prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in Bosnia and Herzegovina, right after lung cancer.

“Too few people are aware of this fact, and we want to change that. There is still a stigma around preventive prostate exams because of the way they are performed. That’s why our slogan this year is ‘You’ll Need a Finger…’, and we’ve chosen a special public figure as the face of the 2025 campaign — their identity will be revealed soon,” announced Dr. Tomić.

Throughout November, Superbrke plan to organize a series of activities — including lectures at the Faculty of Medicine in Banja Luka on prostate cancer prevention and early detection, fundraising events for patients in need, and continued education sessions for young men about testicular cancer awareness. The organizers will regularly update the public on all activities.

“For now, our focus is to get as many men as possible to join us tomorrow at Café ‘Pause’ and proudly wear their new mustaches. The goal is to attract attention to these important topics and spread awareness. Next week, we’ll announce the second phase of the campaign, including details about the fundraising initiative,” added Dr. Tomić.

This year marks the 13th consecutive Movember organized by Superbrke. You can follow their work and upcoming events on their official Facebook and Instagram pages.