This is the message a group of Scone men want others to read and remember this month, being International Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. 

While various events, such as the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride and others, are being held across the country this month, the local group of men are urging others to take note and get checked. 

Prostate cancer is a disease that affects about 120,000  Australian men and is the second most common cause of cancer death following lung cancer, however it does have one of the highest five year survival rates of 92 per cent after diagnosis. 

For this reason, men are encouraging others to remember that prevention is much easier and better than cure. 

Various members of the Upper Hunter Men’s Shed have suffered from prostate cancer themselves and the men were more than happy to speak out on the topic, and any other health issue men are having for that matter.

Talking about it and supporting each other is the key benefit members believe comes out of their shed initiative, as they have each realised it is better to talk about their issues then keep them bottled up inside. 

Upper Hunter Men’s Shed member George McCready said it was an advantage to go to the shed and talk to others about your problems, as you get that interaction and find out you’re not alone. 

“The most important thing is being able to talk about it to someone, as sometimes we don’t talk about things in the home front and we talk more openly to the men about it, which breaks the code of silence,” he said. 

The group of about 35 men meet every Thursday at their home base next door to the Scone Senior Citizen’s Centre in Oxford Road and it has always been one of their core objectives since starting in 2010 to provide an outlet for men to simply be together in a trusted environment and support each other through the tougher times of life. 

Another member, Graham Harper, said he believes it is important for men to talk as they are often scared as hell, even so scared that they don’t want treatment, so it’s good to exchange experiences and expectations. 

“It’s great for men to be aware that they are not by themselves and it’s not a death sentence, you can be treated.

“The earlier you can get it, the better,” Mr Harper said. 

“It’s a subject a lot of men don’t like to talk about until we build trust, and I think we’re all frightened of the ‘c’ word.”

The men said they believe often the hardest part is coming to grips with your diagnosis yourself and then telling your family, which leads to the tendency of just dismissing it. 

At the end of the day, they believe men should get checked as early detection is the best protection, and they say it’s an easy test.

“Men should be encouraged to do a full annual blood check, which covers everything.”