TESTICULAR and prostate cancer are under the spotlight this month as June is Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month.

In support of the event, Men’s Sexual Health – a Swindon service for local men of all ages – is running a campaign reminding men to check themselves regularly and, yesterday, the team were in the Central Library giving advice.

Displays were on show, complete with interactive testicular and prostate models.

Mara Ranieri Davey, social marketing worker, said: “Men are notoriously bad at seeking help for any kind of health issues so we want to raise awareness.

“Changes can be really subtle so it is important that boys start checking themselves from puberty, the soonger young men are familiar with their own testicles the better.”

The team have spent the past few weeks travelling around the colleges, and next weekend will be at the Old Town Festival in a bid to heighten the knowledge and understanding of both cancers.

Youth development worker Matt Othold said: “It has been really good – for the young people it is something that they don’t tend to get told about by their parents or teachers.

“They have the sex education but they don’t learn anything about checking themselves properly.

“Women hear a lot about smear tests and things like that but boys don’t get taught about this.

“It has gone down really well at the colleges. Yes, they find the models can be quite a laugh and a giggle but they also see the importance of it and how crucial early detection is and can save lives.”

The service is running a campaign reminding men to check themselves regularly called “After the Tackle, don’t forget the Rear.”

They have joined forces with the Trowbridge Tigers football team who feature in a poster which will be sent to leisure centres, gyms, sports clubs, libraries, working men’s clubs and colleges.

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in the 15 to 44 age group. There are 2,000 cases a year in the UK and, with treatment, testicular cancer is 97 to 99 per cent curable if caught in the early stages.

But it still causes about 70 deaths per year.

Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to be the most common cancer in men and, every year, 36,000 men are diagnosed with it, resulting in 10,000 deaths.

For further information on testicular and prostate cancer visit the Everyman Male Cancer website at www.everyman-campaign.org.