Shocking statistics revealed by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan reveal that one in five (20%) young men from the West Midlands could not be encouraged to sign up to a blood stem cell or bone marrow register for any reason – despite the possibility of saving a life being a reason to do so.
While over half (55%) of men from the West Midlands consider themselves to be an ‘average man’, the poll, conducted by YouGov, surprisingly revealed that over a quarter (27%) young men consider the average man to be ‘apathetic’. The findings have been released to cast light on the attitudes of young men aged 16-30 and encourage more of them to sign up to the Anthony Nolan Register.
Anthony Nolan’s campaign, March of the Men, is championing the complexities of young men, saying that there’s no such thing as an average man. The campaign shows that every young man is unique, and it’s their one of a kind DNA that could save someone’s life.
Men aged 16-30 are 3.5 times more likely to be chosen as a stem cell donor than average, however they make up only 15% of Anthony Nolan’s register.
When asked which words they associate with being an ‘average man’, over one in five (22%) men aged 16-30 from the West Midlands chose ‘loyal’, nearly one third (31%) picked ‘caring’ while just under one in ten (9%) chose ‘emotional’.
Anthony Nolan wants these insights into modern masculinity to inspire more young men to sign up to potentially save the life of someone in desperate need. Encouragingly, more than a third (37%) of young men from the West Midlands reported they would consider joining a bone marrow or stem cell register if a friend or a family member needed a transplant, while almost half (45%) say they would want other people to be registered if they or a family member needed a transplant.
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, said: ‘It’s incredibly important we raise awareness among young men about the power they have to save a life.
‘The young men from the West Midlands who have already made the decision to sign up to the stem cell register have done something incredible, and by that token they are anything but average!
‘We know from the countless lives saved by selfless young men that they are far from apathetic. However, this poll shows that there is still work to do in terms of addressing myths and concerns surrounding stem cell donation among young men.’
To join the register, all you have to do is fill out a form and provide a saliva sample. If you are a match for someone, donating involves a straightforward outpatient procedure, and 90% of the time the process is similar to giving blood.
