Santa’s prostate nightmare urges Australian men to act

A new men’s health campaign aims to illustrate the debilitating impact of an enlarged prostate, a condition also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), by showing how impossible Santa’s annual task would be if he were affected by the condition.

The new campaign – using the hash tag #SeatsUpforSanta – follows Santa’s nightmare where his efforts to deliver presents to children on Christmas eve are severely hampered by his need to constantly visit the toilet during the night. People are invited into an imaginary Christmas Eve where families are asked to leave their #SeatsUpforSanta so that he can get the job done.

Having to urinate more than once a night is a key symptom of an enlarged prostate. Other symptoms include frequency, weak stream and dribbling. Men aged over 50 years are at increased risk of this condition although many do not seek treatment because they may regard symptoms as a natural part of ageing.

The BPH awareness campaign aims to encourage men over 50 to be aware of any developing BPH symptoms and to talk to their GP about treatment options if necessary.

Associate Professor Manish Patel, a Sydney-based urologist, says many Australian men suffer from the condition and they should seek treatment via their GP.

“Prostate enlargement is a common condition so many Australian men will recognise the symptoms in Santa’s video. If we can get some attention by being a little light-hearted about the symptoms then hopefully we can encourage more blokes to talk their doctor about treatment,” said Associate Professor Patel.

Approximately one in three Australian men aged over 50 suffer from an enlarged prostate.¹ BPH is not a life-threatening but symptoms can have a major effect on quality of life. There are treatments than can help many men improve their symptoms and quality of life.

Whether to have treatment, and the choice of treatment, depends on the severity of symptoms. Men experiencing symptoms needs to discuss treatment options with their GP.

The BPH awareness campaign is sponsored by GSK. To find out more about BPH and to take a 2 minute questionnaire to assess symptom severity, visit http://morethanonceanight.com.au/bph-severity/

GSK – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life. For further information please visit au.gsk.com

You can follow GSK on Twitter for more Australian updates @GSK_AU.

References:

1. Homma. (2007). Epidemiologic Survey of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Asia and Australia Using the International Prostate Symptom Score. International Journal of Urology, 4, 40-46. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2042.1997.tb00138.x/pdf

This media release has been issued by Palin Communications on behalf of GSK.

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