Ignorance Isn't Bliss


Prostate Research Campaign UK has just launched a patient led awareness campaign aimed at encouraging women to persuade the men in their lives to seek help from their doctors if they have any symptoms of prostate disease.

The Ignorance Isn’t Bliss campaign is the brainchild of Kit Hobday, who was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer two years ago.  Prior to his diagnosis, Kit and his wife Susie had no specific knowledge of prostate cancer.  They both feel that it is important for men and women to recognise the first symptoms and be proactive in seeking medical help.  The campaign is supported by Prostate Research Campaign UK and by an Astra Zeneca Oncology educational grant.

Research carried out for the campaign by MORI shows that over three quarters of all men discuss serious health issues with their womenfolk before seeing a doctor, and it is for this reason that the campaign is targeted at women.

Professor Roger Kirby, Professor of Urology, at St George’s Hospital London and Professor David Dearnaley, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, at the Royal Marsden, Sutton, both of whom support this campaign, have sent a letter to 37,500 UK GPs announcing the campaign and giving them (for their GP surgery) the leaflet For the Man in your Life, which explains briefly what prostate cancer is, the first symptoms of prostate cancer, the need to be proactive in organising check-ups and screening and moreover, tips to help women to encourage their men to seek medical advice at an early stage.  There is also a poster For the Man in your Life mirroring the leaflet for women.

As well as obtaining these leaflets from the local surgery they can also be obtained from the Prostate Research Campaign information line Tel. 0208 582 0248, from various web sites, including ours, and from the May issues of the Women’s Institute and Saga magazines.

The birth of the campaign

The Ignorance Isn’t Bliss campaign targets women because of the personal experience of Susie and Kit Hobday.  Susie had been telling Kit that men seldom listen to advice, that it is women who actually read articles and that women network far better than men.  After a barbecue at which they told their friends of his illness, Kit said ‘You were quite right, Susie.  The men all think ignorance is bliss’ and Susie said ‘It certainly is not!’ and thus the campaign was born.  Susie and Kit lead extremely busy lives.  Not least is their ownership of the 52 foot yacht Bear of Britain, launched by Prince Andrew, crewed by young amateur sailors and winner of the America Cup Jubilee.