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Movember Mens Health Checks Europe

What should men check during Movember?

Movember is the month to settle five things: whether a PSA prostate test makes sense for you (from 50, or 45 with a family history), a monthly testicle self-check, erection or urinary changes you have been ignoring, whether low testosterone is really behind your tiredness, and how you are coping. Below is what each check involves and how to get it in 12 European countries.

Movember Mens Health Checks Europe
Medically reviewed

Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD Google Scholar LinkedIn

Internal Medicine Specialist
Cancer Immunology Researcher

Key facts

  • Movember runs 1–30 November every year; the 2026 campaign line is ‘Make a Growmitment’ and the three causes are prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.
  • The European Association of Urology says a well-informed man can be offered PSA testing from 50, from 45 if a close relative had prostate cancer before 60, or if he is of African descent; and from 40 if he carries a BRCA2 mutation.
  • None of the 12 countries covered runs a national prostate screening programme; a doctor, usually your GP, orders the test, and the EU-funded PRAISE-U pilots in Ireland and two regions of Spain report to the European Commission by the end of 2026.
  • Testicular cancer peaks in men in their 20s and 30s and, all stages taken together, more than 95% of men survive long term, so check once a month, during or after a warm shower.
  • Low testosterone is only diagnosed when persistent symptoms come with two separate fasting morning blood results below 12 nmol/L (3.5 ng/mL), the European Association of Urology threshold.
  • Men were 76.4% of the EU’s 48,370 suicide deaths in 2023, yet in the latest EU health survey only 5.2% of men had seen a mental-health professional in the previous year, against 7.7% of women.

You are in Europe this November, perhaps not in the country you grew up in, and the moustaches have started appearing. Movember is easy to join and easy to let pass. This guide turns it into five concrete checks: a prostate decision, a testicle self-check, an honest look at erections and urination, a testosterone question answered with a blood test rather than a guess, and a mental-health check-in. It tells you who orders each test in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Spain, what you pay, and what you need to be registered for as a newcomer.

What Movember is, and why it matters more if you live abroad

Movember runs for the whole of November every year. Participants start clean-shaven on 1 November and grow a moustache for the month, walk or run 60 km, or set their own challenge. The 2026 campaign line is “Make a Growmitment”: commit with a friend, grow together. The money funds three causes: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention. International Men’s Day falls inside the month, on 19 November.

The numbers behind the moustache are plain. A boy born in the EU in 2024 can expect to live 78.9 years; a girl, 84.1. Of the 48,370 people who died by suicide in the EU in 2023, 76.4% were men, and the male rate was 16.9 per 100,000 against 5.0 for women. Yet in the latest EU health survey (2019) only 5.2% of men had consulted a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist in the previous year, compared with 7.7% of women. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in European men: the EU’s cancer information system estimated about 335,000 new cases and 70,000 deaths in 2020.

Living abroad adds a layer. You may not have a family doctor yet, you may not know whether a blood test is free, and the checks you would have had at home may not exist in the same form here. That is what the rest of this article fixes.

Check 1: decide whether a PSA prostate test is right for you

The European Association of Urology (EAU) does not recommend testing every man. It says PSA testing can be offered to a well-informed man from the age of 50; from 45 if a close relative had prostate cancer before 60, or if he is of African descent; and from 40 if he carries a BRCA2 mutation. Testing stops making sense when life expectancy is under about 15 years, because a cancer found then is unlikely to cause harm within his lifetime. “Well-informed” is doing real work in that sentence: a raised PSA leads to an MRI and possibly a biopsy, and some of the cancers found would never have caused harm. The decision is yours, taken with a doctor.

A prostate check in Europe is usually a conversation, a PSA blood test and, depending on the country, a digital rectal examination. If you want to know what the examination itself involves, read our guide to what happens during a prostate exam.

Europe is moving. On 9 December 2022 the Council of the EU recommended that member states evaluate organised prostate screening based on PSA testing combined with MRI, through a stepwise approach of pilots and research. The EU-funded PRAISE-U project (April 2023 to September 2026) ran those pilots in Ireland (Dublin and Waterford), Spain (Galicia and Manresa), Poland and Lithuania; its evaluation is due to the European Commission by the end of 2026. Lombardy in Italy already invites men by birth year, starting with those born 1962–1975 and adding each new 50-year-old cohort, with 70 as the upper limit, and Germany’s Federal Joint Committee is assessing a risk-adapted PSA/MRI offer, with a decision expected by October 2027. For now, though, outside Lombardy’s regional programme the route in all 12 countries below is the same: you raise it with a doctor.

Where to get a prostate check, and who to call, in 12 European countries

Each row was checked against the official health-service, insurer, ministry or crisis-line page listed in the Sources at the time of the last update. “Programme” means an organised national programme that invites men by letter; none of these countries has one yet. The crisis line in the last column is for the mental-health section further down. In every country, 112 is the free emergency number.

Country Organised PSA programme? Who orders the check What you pay in the public system What a newcomer needs Mental-health crisis line
Austria No. PSA is not a standard part of the free annual Vorsorgeuntersuchung; men 50+ can ask for it within that check. Any contracted GP (Vorsorgeuntersuchung) or a urologist directly Free within the Vorsorgeuntersuchung; covered when a doctor orders it for a medical reason Statutory insurance and the e-card TelefonSeelsorge 142, 24 h, free
Denmark No. Sundhedsstyrelsen advises against PSA screening; the GP tests only with symptoms (from 45), a suspicious prostate, a strong family history or a BRCA2 mutation (from 40). Your egen læge (GP), who refers to urology Free (tax-funded) CPR number, the yellow health card and an assigned GP Livslinien 70 201 201, daily 09:00–05:00
France No. No health authority recommends systematic PSA testing; it is an individual decision with your doctor. Your médecin traitant or a urologist prescribes it; blood taken at a laboratoire Reimbursed at 60% of the tariff when prescribed; a mutuelle usually covers the rest Assurance Maladie affiliation (PUMa) and a carte Vitale; declare a médecin traitant for the full reimbursement rate 3114, 24 h, free
Germany No. From 45, statutory insurance pays for a yearly prostate check (examination and palpation); PSA as screening is a self-pay IGeL extra. Any GP, internist or urologist, no referral needed Yearly check from 45 free; PSA self-pay unless there are symptoms or findings Statutory (GKV) or private (PKV) insurance, compulsory for all residents TelefonSeelsorge 0800 111 0 111 or 116 123, 24 h, free
Greece No. The national Prolamvano prevention programme (breast, cervical and bowel cancer, heart risk) has no prostate component. A doctor in a Kentro Ygeias, hospital clinic or EOPYY-contracted urologist issues an e-referral Free at public ESY labs; 15% co-payment at contracted private labs AMKA number from e-EFKA or a KEP office 10306, 24 h, free
Ireland No. The PRAISE-U pilot for men 50–69 in Dublin and Waterford ran from March 2025; its results go to the national screening committee. Your GP, who can refer to a rapid-access prostate clinic GP fee unless you hold a medical card or GP visit card (free for everyone 70+) Ordinary residence (living here a year or intending to) and a GP taking new patients Samaritans 116 123, 24 h; text HELLO to 50808
Italy No national programme. Some regions have started their own: Lombardy invites men born 1962–1975, rolling on from the 50th birthday, up to 70. Your medico di base (impegnativa), who can refer to a urologist Ticket co-payment up to about €36 per prescription unless exempt; free in regional programmes SSN enrolment at the ASL, codice fiscale, tessera sanitaria and a chosen medico di famiglia Telefono Amico 02 2327 2327, daily 24 h
Luxembourg No. National programmes exist for breast and bowel cancer only; the ministry advises men from 50 to discuss testing with their doctor. Any GP or urologist prescribes it; the lab needs the ordonnance Lab tests covered at 100% of the tariff with a prescription CNS affiliation through your employer (CCSS) and the carte de sécurité sociale SOS Détresse 45 45 45, daily 11:00–23:00 (English line Wed, Sat, Sun)
Netherlands No bevolkingsonderzoek. The huisarts uses a decision aid with you before testing. Your huisarts Covered by basic insurance; the lab test counts against the €385 eigen risico (the GP visit itself does not) Dutch basic health insurance within four months of arriving, and a huisarts 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, call 113, 24 h, free
Portugal No. National programmes cover breast, cervical and bowel cancer. Your médico de família at the centro de saúde or USF Free: primary-care consultations and the tests they prescribe carry no taxa moderadora Proof of legal residence and a número de utente, registered at your local centro de saúde (assigned at your first visit if you do not have one) SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24, option 4, 24 h
Romania No. A PSA programme for men over 50 is proposed in the National Cancer Plan; the first pilot project (MARIN, men 50–70, led by UMF Carol Davila) started in February 2026. Your medic de familie issues a bilet de trimitere Free at a contracted laboratory with the referral Insured status with your local CAS and registration with a medic de familie 0800 801 200 (Alianța Română de Prevenție a Suicidului), Fri–Sun 19:00–07:00 only
Spain No national programme. PRAISE-U pilots for men 50–69 in Galicia and Manresa. Your médico de familia in atención primaria Free within the SNS Right to care recognised by the INSS, then the tarjeta sanitaria individual from your centro de salud 024, 24 h, free

A pattern stands out. Where the GP is the gatekeeper (Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain), the doctor will steer you through the pros and cons before agreeing, and the test itself costs little or nothing. Where you can walk straight into a urologist (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg), the test is easy to get; in Germany a screening PSA without symptoms is a self-pay extra. Neither is wrong; both expect you to have thought about it first, which is what the EAU means by “well-informed”.

Check 2: your testicles, once a month

Testicular cancer is rare, about 1% of adult cancers, but it is the cancer of young men: the peak is in the 20s and 30s. More than 95% of men are alive long term when all stages are taken together, and the earlier it is found the simpler the treatment. The self-check takes a minute and the NHS method is the one to copy.

  1. Do it during or just after a warm bath or shower, when the scrotum is relaxed.
  2. Hold the scrotum in the palm of one hand. With the other, roll one testicle at a time gently between thumb and fingers.
  3. Normal feels smooth and firm but not hard. One testicle slightly larger or hanging lower is normal. The soft tube at the back of each testicle is the epididymis; it belongs there.
  4. See a doctor within days, not weeks, for a lump or swelling, a testicle that has grown, a scrotum that feels heavy, firm or hard, or an ache or pain in the scrotum or testicles you cannot explain.

Most lumps are not cancer: fluid-filled cysts and swollen veins (varicoceles) are far more common causes. But the only way to know is an examination and, usually, an ultrasound, and that is the one check in this article where waiting costs you most.

Check 3: erections and urination are health signals, not embarrassments

Erectile dysfunction shares its risk factors with heart disease, and the EAU now treats ED as a precursor of cardiovascular disease: the more severe and longer-standing the ED, the higher the risk. The practical consequence is that a man whose erections have changed should have his blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol checked as part of the assessment, rather than the erections treated on their own. Our article on the causes of erectile dysfunction explains the physical and psychological sides, and a doctor on Mobi Doctor can assess and treat erectile dysfunction over video, or through an Express Assessment if you prefer to write rather than talk.

Urinary symptoms follow age closely: most older men have at least one, usually mild. Getting up at night, a weak stream, dribbling or a sudden urge are often caused by benign prostate enlargement, which is treatable. With symptoms like these the screening age rules give way to the doctor’s clinical judgement in every country in the table; even Denmark, which otherwise discourages PSA testing, tests men with symptoms from 45. So do not file them under “normal for my age” without a doctor hearing them. If the main complaint is needing to pee constantly, that article walks through the other causes.

Check 4: low testosterone, tested properly or not at all

Tiredness, low mood, less interest in sex and softer erections send a lot of men searching for “low testosterone”. The EAU’s definition is strict on purpose: late-onset hypogonadism needs both persistent symptoms and biochemical proof, meaning total testosterone measured between 07:00 and 10:00, fasting, found below 12 nmol/L (3.5 ng/mL) on at least two separate mornings. Testosterone therapy is never started on symptoms alone, and never in a man whose levels are normal. If you suspect it, the first step is a morning blood test ordered by your GP, then a consultation to interpret it alongside everything else that causes those symptoms, from sleep to thyroid to depression. Our guide to low testosterone and male hypogonadism covers the symptoms in detail, and the testosterone replacement therapy page explains how doctors on Mobi Doctor approach treatment when the diagnosis is confirmed.

Check 5: how you are coping, and who to call

The gap between men’s suicide rate and men’s use of mental-health care is the most important number in this article. Three in four people who die by suicide in the EU are men, and men are less likely than women to have spoken to a professional. Living abroad does not help: the friends who would notice are elsewhere, the language may be wrong for talking about feelings, and the local system is unfamiliar.

Two things are worth knowing. First, you do not need a diagnosis to talk to a doctor: a video consultation about stress, sleep, anxiety or low mood is a normal medical appointment, in English, and our article on burnout versus depressionhelps you put words to it. Second, every country in the table has a crisis line staffed by people trained for exactly this conversation, most of them free to call and most of them around the clock; the numbers and hours are in the last column. If you are in immediate danger, or someone with you is, call 112 anywhere in the EU. Our page on suicidal thoughts lists what to do right now.

Your Movember checklist by age

  • 20s and 30s: monthly testicle self-check; know your blood pressure; talk to someone if your mood has been low for more than two weeks.
  • 40s: add blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol if you have not had them checked; take changes in erections seriously as a heart signal; from 40, discuss PSA if you carry BRCA2.
  • 45+: discuss PSA testing if a close relative had prostate cancer before 60, or if you are of African descent; in Germany, book the free yearly prostate check.
  • 50+: discuss PSA testing with your doctor whatever your history; report any urinary change; in Austria, ask for the PSA within your Vorsorgeuntersuchung; and when a bowel-screening invitation arrives, use it: several of these countries organise that check by letter.
  • Any age: if symptoms point at the prostate or testicles, the screening age rules give way to clinical judgement; see a doctor now.

How Mobi Doctor fits into your Movember

Mobi Doctor connects you with a licensed EU-registered doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes, daily 7am–11pm CET, in English. That is useful for the parts of this list that start with a conversation: deciding whether a PSA test is right for you and what to ask your local doctor for, having erection or urinary symptoms assessed and treated, interpreting symptoms of low testosterone, and talking about stress, sleep or mood. Physical examinations, blood tests and scans stay with the local system described in the table, and the doctor will tell you which one you need and how to get it where you are. See available times or browse the rest of our men’s health articles.

Sources



Movember and Men’s Health Checks FAQs

Movember runs from 1 to 30 November every year. Participants start clean-shaven on 1 November and grow a moustache, walk or run 60 km, or set their own challenge. The 2026 campaign line is ‘Make a Growmitment’. Funds go to prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.

The European Association of Urology says a well-informed man can be offered PSA testing from age 50; from age 45 if a close relative had prostate cancer before age 60, or if he is of African descent; and from age 40 if he carries a BRCA2 mutation. With urinary symptoms, the screening age rules do not apply; the doctor decides on clinical grounds. The decision is made with a doctor, because a raised result leads to further tests.

Not yet as a national programme in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania or Spain. The Council of the EU recommended in December 2022 that countries evaluate organised PSA-plus-MRI screening, and EU-funded PRAISE-U pilots were run in Ireland and in Galicia and Manresa in Spain, with the evaluation due by the end of 2026. Lombardy in Italy runs its own regional programme.

In most of the 12 countries, the family doctor or GP orders the test, so registering is the first step: for example, a CPR number and GP in Denmark, a médecin traitant in France, a huisarts in the Netherlands, a número de utente in Portugal. In Austria, Germany and Luxembourg you can go directly to a urologist. In Germany, PSA screening is self-pay.

Once a month, during or after a warm shower, hold the scrotum in one palm and roll one testicle at a time between the thumb and fingers of the other hand. Normal feels smooth and firm, not hard; the soft tube at the back is the epididymis. See a doctor promptly for a lump, swelling, a change in size, heaviness, or an ache or pain.

A doctor can talk you through whether a PSA test is right for you and what to ask your local doctor or laboratory for, assess and treat erectile dysfunction and urinary symptoms, interpret symptoms of low testosterone, and help with stress, sleep, anxiety or low mood, over video, usually within 15 minutes, daily 7am–11pm. Examinations, blood tests and scans are done through the local system described in the article.


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