Dear men of Ireland: If a free test could save your life, why not do it?

Just one in four men take up the initial BowelScreen invitation. Irish Examiner columnists are joining forces to raise awareness in a social media campaign

Ten Irish Examiner columnists take part in a high- profile social media campaign aimed at men. From top left: Tommy Martin, Dáithí Ó Sé, Mick Clifford, Michael Moynihan, Liam Sheedy, Anthony Daly, Fergus Finlay, Richard Hogan, Donal Lenihan and Dr Phil Kieran. 

Irish men are known for their stoicism, often pushing through pain and discomfort, insisting, ‘I’m grand, nothing to see here’, or believing they are too busy to set aside time to look after their health. But that tough-it-out mindset can come at a cost, leading to serious and sometimes devastating consequences.

In the case of bowel cancer, around 1,500 men in Ireland develop the disease every year. Although men are more likely than women to be diagnosed, only one in four take up their initial BowelScreen invitation.