Men need pink power, too

Unless you're that one in every seven men afflicted by prostate cancer - or someone very close to one of those guys - the words that follow probably won't mean much.

Until you or a loved one are stricken, that is. And by then, we can only hope it isn't too late.

It's a fact of life that as men get older, many develop prostate problems ranging from difficulty urinating to ravaging, lethal cancer. But as Press subscriber John told us just after Sholeh Patrick's column on prostate cancer was published last week, heightened awareness can lead to all sorts of good things: At the top of the list being a longer, happy and healthy life.

Sholeh's column hit home with John because he recently had a prostate procedure done to alleviate urinary difficulties. Luckily, John did not have cancer, so the procedure wasn't a matter of life or death. But it was no stroll in the park, either, for the man in his early 70s, and it was a very clear reminder that men have a long, long way to go in confronting and then doing something about a number of health issues.

Maybe it's the way men are wired, or maybe it's the way many are brought up, but addressing health issues is too frequently perceived as a sign of weakness - to themselves as well as to others. When a guy got hit by a fastball as a kid, what was he told? Rub dirt on it and trot on down to first base. Don't ever let 'em know it hurt. When a linebacker knocked him on his rear end, he was commanded that next time, just hit the other guy harder.

As a result, men often rub figurative dirt on their wounds or, in many cases, don't muster the intestinal fortitude to actually confront what's needed to fix them. But even before that, too many men simply won't acknowledge there's a potential problem in the first place, and that's where John's idea comes into play.

John noted that the tide in the fight against breast cancer really started to turn with a massive, worldwide awareness campaign. Today, the color pink is universally recognized as the symbol of that fight. Pink ribbons proliferate. Pink is the official color of T-shirts worn by women who have defeated the disease; it's proudly worn by pro football players and other renowned athletes in a display of heartfelt support.

Maybe, John suggests, that's what needs to happen to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Again, prostate cancer strikes one in seven men. According to breastcancer.org, breast cancer afflicts one in eight women. In terms of serious, potentially devastating health threats, they're near mirror-images of each other.

We're with John. Let's raise awareness of prostate cancer beyond the September-Is-Prostate-Cancer-Awareness-Month jargon. And most important of all, let's remind men of all ages that confronting health problems early on is more than a sign of strength. It's also an indication of true courage.