Photo: Flickr, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
After finding his own prostate was enlarged, a man is advocating for awareness during Movember.
Raj Bharath, 46, was told to go for a blood test when he realised his energy levels felt lower than normal and his results said his Prostate Specific Antigen, which measures levels of protein in your prostate gland, was abnormally high.
He now is an advocate for Movember – the month commonly known as November, where selfless men from around the world grow a moustache in support of raising awareness for prostate cancer and prostate health. Friends, family and colleagues all support them throughout the month and donate where they can.
When Mr Bharath contacted his GP, he said it “started a chain of events”, he was told he had an enlarged prostate that was non-cancerous, because of recurring prostatitis. He also explained that he “would never have known that” if he had not gone for a test.
Mr Bharath said his prostate scare took its toll with the antibiotics and the high volume of testing but said that his friends and family picked him up and supported him. They now encourage awareness every year during Movember.
Since its foundation, Movember has raised over £400 million for men’s health issues. Raj Bharath says raising awareness for prostate health through the campaign is “really important” as problems can often go “undetected.”
In October 2025, Prostate Cancer Research analysed the statistics on the demand, costs and delivery of national prostate cancer screening in the UK, where only 9.32% of men who undergo a PSA test proceed to biopsy.
The report suggests that a targeted screening programme for men aged 45-69, who are at higher risk, is estimated to cost the NHS around £25 million per year, equivalent to 0.01% of the annual NHS budget.
NHS Greater Manchester contributes to 4.64% of the total diagnostic prostate cancer MRI scans per 1,000 men.
Prostate Cancer is described as a “killer disease” by Mr Bharath who says early awareness will improve the recovery rate amongst men at a certain age, he believes raising awareness – particularly Movember – allows people to come together and realise the effects the disease has.
The Movember campaign tells people to ‘stay connected’, to ‘check in’ and ‘make time’ for your ‘mates’. Mr Bharath has also supported their campaign when they encourage men to “have conversations, especially about the tough stuff.”
Globally, there were approximately 1.5 million new prostate cases and 396,000 deaths in 2022, this is projected to rise by 15% between 2023 and 2040. The long-term plan of the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) shows a 13% relative reduction in prostate cancer deaths over 23 years among screen men. Raj Bharath is motivating people to get themselves tested for this reason exactly.
The movement of Movember has largely grown over the years, offering support groups and advice to men who seek help with their health. Raj Bharath has benefitted from the support he received.
“It’s amazing. I will be participating this year as well.
“I will always send out a little message to all my friends and colleagues and say ‘right, for Movember, lets get going!’ and to any charities that we can come across.”