We have all heard that a sense of humor is good for your health. For one Ontario man however, taking a friend’s pregnancy test as a joke turned out to have saved his life. This was perhaps not what he had in mind when he joined the ranks of women world wide – astounded when the anticipated single line suddenly came back with two distinct strips. Eager to share the hilarious irony with the world, a friend crafted a comic strip and posted it on reddit.com. That was where the fun stopped.
Not knowing whether the post was in truth or jest, readers started to share warnings about the need for this young man to be screened for testicular cancer. Although rare, some forms of testicular germ cell cancers (great overview here) actually produce a hormone called B-hcg (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin). This is the same hormone produced in women to support the development of the placenta during pregnancy… hence the positive result. Whether you believe in fate, humor or the healthy inclusion of both, there is no doubt that a little bit of each played a significant role in saving this man’s life.
Men’s health issues are often tricky to uncover, especially when dealing with invincible, sub-30 something’s who have yet to encounter the need for a preventative health routine or steady check-up. Movember is an ingenious opportunity to infuse below the belt chitchat with sufficient banality and humor to make these important topics accessible to body-talk adverse males.
Support a friend with facial hair and encourage discussion around their health. If all else fails, perhaps you can open with the line, what do testicles and pregnancy tests have in common? Unless it is a first date, I am sure you could take it from there.