I was pleasantly surprised to see that the TES (Times Educational Supplement) has just published an article about the importance of speaking about testicular cancer to young men. Written by Emily Gunton, the piece which you can see here[1] discusses how she had got through the lockdown box-sets and her family were looking for something new, when ‘Me, My Brother and Our Balls’ popped up on the BBC’s iPlayer.
They clicked the link and soon found themselves watching a fascinating documentary about Love Islander (apparently) Chris Hughes and his live-on-TV testicular examination which obliquely led to his brother finding a lump which then led to his discovery of testicular cancer.
What Ms Gunton realised after seeing her male housemates, watching legs-crossed, that much of the detail in the documentary was news to them…and that they’d pay more attention to what’s going ‘down there’ to make sure they were checking their health more closely.
I COULD NOT agree more – my live and pre-recorded keynote and workshop Life By The Balls is all about my experiences with Testicular Cancer and how it was at 21 that my then-girlfriend who ensured I went to the Doctors (just in the nick of time) to get diagnosed with testicular cancer and, THE FOLLOWING DAY, have my testicle removed.
Life By The Balls is an essential PSHE / RSE session for boys and girls and is available for download now with an annual license for £250 (usual price £295) with unlimited plays or I can deliver a virtual ‘live’ or face to face keynote as covid allows.
As Testicular Cancer is globally the most common cancer among men aged between 15 and 39 it’s essential that we help young men understand the signs and teach them about “having a useful feel” once a month!
Info here: https://innovativeenterprise.co.uk/portfolio/life-by-the-balls-with-bernie/
[1]https://www.tes.com/news/why-its-important-teachers-talk-balls