
CAPE TOWN – No one can deny that Springbok Francois “Faf” de Klerk meeting Britain's Prince Harry, after winning the Rugby World Cup, wearing nothing but his patriotic speedo, was a ballsy move. Using his viral fame for good, the scrumhalf is collaborating with Cipla South Africa to challenge all men – even the Prince himself – to improve their personal “ball skills” when it comes to checking for signs of testicular cancer.
While one of the most common cancers in men between the ages of 15 and 49, if diagnosed in the early stages, the survival rate for testicular cancer is 99%. Despite this, the number of South African men being diagnosed with late-stage cancer is on the rise.
Unlike prostate cancer (which requires a blood test or a digital rectal exam), early-stage testicular cancer can be detected through a simple self-examination. Once a month, after a shower, check your testes for anything painful or unusual. “An early diagnosis is the key to receiving potentially curable treatment. A significant impact can be made by simply increasing the awareness of self-examination amongst South African men,” says Cipla CEO, Paul Miller.
Posting on Instagram, De Klerk poked a bit of fun at himself to raise awareness about this very serious topic. “I’m challenging all South African men to be ballsy and tackle testicular cancer by feeling for any irregular lumps, swelling or pain,” says De Klerk.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Francois Faf De Klerk (@fafster09) on