I have never watched Love Island, although I have heard enough about it to know who Chris Hughes is.
Being able to recognise a name from Love Island is generally where my interest in wannabe celebrities ends. However, I was amazed when Chris Hughes donned a dressing gown and had a testicular examination, live on daytime television, in the name of promoting testicular health.
Good on him. That takes, quite literally, balls.
Having seen something positive happen on the back of Love Island, I was intrigued when Chris Hughes’ face popped up on BBC iPlayer. A documentary entitled Me, My Brother and Our Balls intrigued me. Having binge-watched every available boxset going since March, I needed some fresh viewing.
After watching the live TV examination, Chris’ brother, Ben, discovered a lump and was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The documentary follows the brothers as they explore fertility, surgery and the merits of loose underwear.
Testicular cancer: Little awareness among teenage boys
Twenty minutes in, I was hooked. So much so, in fact, that I paused it and gathered the males in my household to continue watching. They preferred the box sets of 2020, but this was education at its best, real-life and relatable.
It is fair to say that they watched the entire documentary with their legs crossed, but it made them aware, and prompted a discussion, with each of them pledging to - shall we say - be more attentive.
Having watched the Hughes brothers’ journey made me realise how little awareness of testicular cancer there is among teenage boys. I wondered how schools could help to promote awareness among pupils, and perhaps play a role in changing the culture of boys and their bodies.
Men are dying on average six years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons. Across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with men and boys accounting for 75 per cent of all suicides. Unchecked, prostate cancer rates will double over the next 15 years. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among men aged between 15 and 39 years of age.
These are harsh statistics, and they made me realise that there is still a lot of work to be done. It is not just about boys, teens and men checking their balls. It is about changing the culture among men.
A new subject: ‘body awareness’
Maybe we need to create a new subject, “body awareness”, which touches on all the things we ought to know, but sadly often don’t know until it’s too late. It doesn’t necessarily come under the umbrella of biology, particularly as going into the practicalities of these things takes time. It could come under PSHE, but there is already a mountain of content to get through in what is often only one lesson per week.
But these lumps and bumps need awareness. They are things we all need to know about - but we particularly need to educate young people, so they grow up knowing what to look out for.
Boys need to know about girl things, and vice versa. The Hughes brothers’ documentary touched on the role girlfriends could play (Jesy from Little Mix was featured), and how ignoring lumps, as in the case of Chris Hughes, could lead to infertility.
We need to make it OK to talk about these things. We all have a chuckle in November when colleagues grow their Movember moustaches but, if it raises an eyebrow, it has done its job and promoted better awareness.
Lance Armstrong, who went from hero to zero, did immense work on promoting testicular cancer. Now Chris Hughes, in his own way, with his 2.1 million Instagram followers, will hopefully take his fan base with him on his journey.
But we in schools need to spread the message more widely: it’s OK to talk about your balls.
Emily Gunton is director of music, head of co-curricular and outreach, and school consultant teacher at Blackheath High School, in south-east London
