National Prostate Health Month (NPHM), also known as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, is observed every September in North America by health experts, health advocates, and individuals concerned with men's
prostate health and
prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
. Designating a month for the issue serves the purpose of:
* Increasing public awareness of the importance of prostate health and prostate cancer awareness
* Providing easily accessible prostate health screenings and
prostate cancer screenings
* Educating about risk factors and symptoms of prostate health and prostate cancer
* Advocating for further research on prostate health issues and prostate cancer
Origins
September was first designated National Prostate Health Month by the American Foundation for Urological Disease (AFUD) in 1999. AFUD is now known as the Urology Care Foundation. Originally the aims of observing NPHM were more proscribed, concentrating on making the public better informed about prostate health issues
In 2001, Senate Resolution 138 sponsored by Sen.
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns (January 25, 1935 – April 28, 2016) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Montana and later was a lobbyist. He was only the second Republican popularly elected to represent Montana in the Senate ...
(R-MT) endorsed the week and affirmed that Prostate Health Month would be observed annually. In a 2003 presidential proclamation, President George W. Bush voiced his support for the month, but instead of designating the month to be for prostate health in general, specifically named the month "National
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
Awareness Month".
September 2015 was designated National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month by the
Obama Administration
Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took