Former Coventry Rugby Club players want to normalise the conversation around testicular cancer testing
Local rugby players are breaking the stigma surrounding testicular cancer through self testing kits
Former Coventry Rugby Club players want to normalise the conversation around testicular cancer testing amongst males, especially younger men. To help break the stigma, rugby players from across the UK are raising awareness of self testing kits.
A brand new at home self-check test kit is being launched to allow men to test for testicular cancer to catch the disease earlier and save more lives. The kits, which are based on anti-doping tests offer a simple check through a urine sample.
While professional athletes undergo frequent medical screenings, cancer checks aren’t necessarily involved. This oversight is putting millions at risk, particularly regarding testicular cancer; approximately 2,400 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year in the UK, making it the most common cancer among men aged 15 to 45.
Nearly half of all men are unaware of the importance of self-examinations or fail to take them seriously yet, when caught early, testicular cancer has a survival rate of over 95%. This is where the test kits step in, designed to be accessible for men wherever they are.
We've been speaking with former Coventry Rugby fullback, Tobi Wilson, on why he wants to help normalise the conversation surrounding testicular cancer testing.
Tobi said: "I want to help start a conversation on testicular cancer as I think sometimes people can shy away from going to the doctors if they think something is wrong
"I think these self test kits can really help normalise testing because if you're doing it by yourself, you might not get as nervous. The stigma around testing has got so much better over the last few years but we can do better."
Former Coventry Rugby Club player, Adam Nicol, is also backing the campaign alongside Tobi. Adam told us how he hopes Rugby can play a role in normalising testing in younger generations.
Adam said: "As a rugby player, you always have a stigma around you like you're a big, tough guy and nothing can really hurt you, but testicular cancer is something that that can happen to anyone.
"Between the ages of 15 to 45 early detection is the most successful and there's a 95% chance of survival if it was detected early.
"Many young men, often think nothing can really hurt them but, the reality is, they're probably one of the the groups that most at risk of of being affected by it, therefore it's so important to break the stigma around testing and create a better conversation on testicular cancer."