Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 2025:

Building Empathy, Spreading Awareness, Saving Lives

Every September, Men’s Health Network (MHN) leads the nation in recognizing Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a vital opportunity to bring attention to one of the most common cancers affecting men. This campaign is more than a month-long initiative; it’s a call to action for families, communities, workplaces, and partners to come together to support men’s health.

This year, our theme is simple but powerful: Bring Empathy Back.

Prostate cancer affects not only men, but also their families, loved ones, and communities. By fostering empathy and building awareness, we can break down barriers, encourage early detection, and save lives.

Understanding the Scope of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States.

• Each year, approximately 299,010 men will be diagnosed.
• An estimated 35,250 men will die from the disease.
• 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed during their lifetime.

Certain groups face a higher risk, including Black men, men with a family history of prostate cancer, men exposed to certain chemicals, and veterans.

Yet, when detected early, prostate cancer is highly treatable. That’s why awareness, education, and timely screening are critical.

Why Early Detection Matters

One of the challenges of prostate cancer is that early-stage disease usually has no symptoms. By the time men notice changes, such as difficulty urinating, hip or back pain, or blood in the urine, the cancer may already be advanced.

The good news? With regular checkups and open conversations between men and their healthcare providers, early detection is possible.

• High-risk men (Black men, men with family history, veterans) should discuss screening as early as age 40.
• All other men should consider screening starting at age 50.

A simple PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test can make a lifesaving difference.

The Role of Empathy in Men’s Health

For too long, men’s health has been in a silent crisis. Many men hesitate to seek medical care until problems become unavoidable. Stigma, fear, or the belief that “toughing it out” is strength often keeps men from getting the help they need.

Prostate cancer awareness is not just about statistics. It’s about:

• The father who wants to see his children grow up.
• The grandfather who wants to walk his granddaughter down the aisle.
• The veteran navigating health challenges after service.
• The young man who learns family history puts himself at higher risk.

Building empathy for men and boys in their health journeys helps create a culture where seeking care is seen as courage, not weakness.

How You Can Get Involved This September

Men’s Health Network has developed a wide range of resources and activities to help individuals, organizations, and communities act during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

1. Download and Share the Free Digital Media Toolkit

This year, our Prostate Cancer Awareness Toolkit is available for free at Men’s Health Network’s Media Center.

Inside you’ll find:

• Ready-to-share graphics for social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube)
• Sample blog and newsletter content
• Press release templates
• Event ideas for schools, workplaces, faith-based gatherings, and community centers
• QR code access to a Google Drive folder with graphics, flyers, and resources

👉 Download, print, share, and promote these materials digitally and in person. Whether you’re an individual advocate or an organizational partner, these resources are designed to make your outreach easy, impactful, and far-reaching.

2. Become a Men’s Health Ambassador

Ambassadors are the lifeblood of our mission. As an MHN Ambassador, you carry the message of men’s health into your own community, whether that’s through schools, churches, workplaces, or local health events.

🌍 Learn more and apply: Become an Ambassador

3. Subscribe to the Newsletter

Stay informed year-round. Our newsletter provides updates on men’s health issues, awareness campaigns, and new resources to support your community.

✉️ Subscribe here: Sign up for the MHN Newsletter

4. Donate to Support Lifesaving Programs

Every donation fuels MHN’s ability to provide education, awareness campaigns, and advocacy efforts across the country. Your contribution supports outreach to men and families in every community.

💙 Donate today: MensHealthNetwork.org/donate

5. Host a Community Awareness Event

From Wear Blue Days at work or school, to health fairs, fatherhood events, church gatherings, or fundraisers, local engagement makes awareness personal and powerful. MHN’s HEALTHZONE manual (free at MHNHealthZone.com) can guide you through planning and running an event in your community.

Spotlight: Creative Ways to Engage

Here are just a few examples of how individuals and organizations are making an impact this September:

• Workplace Wellness: Organize a “Get It Checked” day where men are encouraged to schedule screenings.
• Schools & Homeschooling: Introduce age-appropriate activities about hygiene, family history, and health literacy.
• Churches & Community Centers: Hold fellowship events to discuss health topics in a supportive environment.
• Local Governments: Encourage mayors or governors to issue official Proclamations recognizing September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
• Social Media Advocacy: Share MHN’s posts, graphics, and videos using hashtags like #ProstateCancerAwareness, #MensHealth, and #WearBlue.

Why the Toolkit Is Our Most Important Resource

The centerpiece of this year’s campaign is the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Digital Toolkit.

Why? Because it empowers you, our partners, ambassadors, and supporters, to amplify the message.

✅ It’s free.

✅ It’s easy to use.

✅ It’s customizable for your community.

✅ It multiplies our collective voice.

Every download, every share, every repost extends the reach of lifesaving information.

We need your help to make sure men everywhere hear this message.

👉 Access the toolkit today: Prostate Cancer Awareness Toolkit

Building a Movement, Together

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is more than an observance; it’s a movement. It’s about shifting culture, breaking silence, and empowering men to take charge of their health.

By donating, subscribing, becoming an ambassador, and, most importantly, downloading and sharing the toolkit, you are part of a national network working to improve the lives of men and their families.

This September, let’s bring empathy back to men’s health. Let’s stand together, families, friends, coworkers, and communities, to raise awareness, support early detection, and save lives.

Take Action Today

• 📥 Download the toolkit: menshealthnetwork.org/media-center
• 🤝 Become an Ambassador: menshealthnetwork.org/become-an-ambassador
• ✉️ Subscribe to the Newsletter: menshealthnetwork.org/subscribe
• 💙 Donate to MHN: menshealthnetwork.org/donate

Together, we can turn awareness into action. Together, we can save lives.

Policy and Advocacy: Advancing Men’s Health on a National Scale

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is not only about raising awareness at the community level, but also about ensuring that men’s health remains a national priority. Men’s Health Network works with leaders on Capitol Hill, state legislatures, and community organizations to make certain that men and their families receive the resources and support they need.

Why Advocacy Matters

While individual screenings and education are essential, there are broader challenges that affect men’s health outcomes. Access to affordable healthcare, limited screening availability in some regions, and a lack of attention to male-specific health concerns all play a role. Policy engagement helps address these challenges by expanding access, encouraging prevention, and supporting research.

Congressional Leadership

Men’s Health Network has long supported the creation of an Office of Men’s Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate strategies around prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and other key issues.

Additionally, MHN supports the Congressional Men’s Health Caucus, which provides bipartisan leadership to strengthen awareness, research, and funding for men’s health initiatives. The Caucus brings lawmakers together to highlight the importance of preventive care, screenings, and education.

Recently, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), a co-chair of the Men’s Health Caucus, introduced a resolution recognizing National Men’s Health Week, emphasizing the importance of early detection and encouraging regular checkups (Press Release, Rep. Carter).

Don’t Forget to Take Action Today

• ✉️ Subscribe to the Newsletter: menshealthnetwork.org/subscribe
• 💙 Donate to MHN: menshealthnetwork.org/donate
• 📥 Download the toolkit: menshealthnetwork.org/media-center
• 🤝 Become an Ambassador: menshealthnetwork.org/become-an-ambassador