Members of South Africa’s Springboks – the national rugby team – have stripped down as they join a campaign aimed at creating awareness about the dangers of testicular cancer.
The rugby heroes, off the back of their victory at the Rugby World Cup, are using their newfound influence to encourage men to check their testicles in order to improve the survival rate of the disease.
Be ballsy enough to check your balls! Testicular cancer is curable if caught and treated early enough! Check out https://t.co/9UunNLyTFd for some important tip & tricks on how to up your ball skills!! pic.twitter.com/aWgxEsuHa1
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— Faf de klerk (@fafdeklerk) November 13, 2019
The challenge, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company, Cipla South Africa, offers young adults guidelines on how to examine their privates for unusual lumps in the testicles. It also provides a fact sheet on testicular cancer.
Faf de Klerk, who was famous for celebrating their England victory in underwear, threw the challenge to his teammates.
He tweeted, the #FafChallenge is to get men “ballsy enough to check on their crown jewels” for signs of testicular cancer.
Shortly after dragging his teammates into the challenge, team captain, Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi, Cheslin Kolbe, Damien de Allende, Malcolm Marx, and Jesse Kriel have all posted images of themselves in their colorful South African speedos.
Speaking after the campaign generated the social media buzz, a spokesperson for Cipla South Africa, told the media that, “they were hoping for the same talkability about these important self-checks that women had established about regular breast checks.”
Siya Challenge Accepted! Don’t wing it when it comes to testicular cancer. Catch it early! check out https://t.co/EMdGMMXZID
Challenging Bongi, RG, Hersch and YOU 2 post a pic & help spread the word on this cause!
#FafChallenge #ballskills #CancerAwareness #colab @Ciplarsa pic.twitter.com/QWGxc7V4IM— Makazole Mapimpi (@Makazole16) November 13, 2019
Cancer.org reports that 9, 560 new cases of testicular cancer have been diagnosed in the U.S. – out of which 410 persons have lost their lives.
In a relative study conducted by the Victoria Cortessis, Assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, said testicular cancer is on the rise, especially in young men who smoke marijuana.
Researchers found that those men who smoked marijuana were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with testicular germ cell tumors. Germ cell tumors are the most common form of testicular cancer in men below the age of 35.
The study also found that those men diagnosed with testicular cancer who smoked marijuana had more aggressive, harder to treat tumors.
This is one of three studies that have identified a link between marijuana use and testicular cancer risk. No other studies have been able to disprove the findings.
See reactions below:
I would to find out more about how you behaved during your primary and and high school, my sense is that you were very naughty happy scholar. I watched padding your opponents during the scrum and realized that you are very naughty still but better human being. Well done!!!!
— Phuti (@Amplitorque) November 13, 2019
He’s been wearing that thing for 11 days ?
— Rob Dale #strongertogether ??? (@robd_za) November 13, 2019
Although this is a serious post, I fear that after THIS RWC you might never get dressed again!!! ???
— Nicole Kente (@NicoleKente) November 13, 2019
Faf is by far the happiest dude around ???- you’re the future!! Everybody needs a Faf in their life! Well done, we’re super proud of you????..!
— Slee_Citizen of Mount Zion☺️?? (@SleeNdlovu) November 13, 2019
Oh my goodness ❤ Glad to see you using your superpowers for good. Sharing the vibes for more reasons than one ?
— Megan Macleod (@MeganMa47535793) November 13, 2019
Does @fafdeklerk have a girlfriend? Asking for a friend
— Citizen Tebogo Komane (@bophelo12345) November 13, 2019
