Beef Australia 2021 gave Ruth Logan the perfect chance to "tackle the subject and talk about their tackle" with the many men who visited the It's a Bloke Thing Foundation stand on site.
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The organisation, a not for profit group, hosts annual fundraising and awareness-raising days for prostate cancer research, care and education, and Ms Logan said the tens of thousands of people visiting the Rockhampton event had given them an incredible opportunity.
"We've been having really good conversations with at least 40 men a day," she said.
"There's been a 25 per cent increase in rural men with prostate cancer so this is essential.
Once men realise there's not a glove in sight and that it's all about a blood test, they're reassured and on board.
- Ruth Logan
The It's a Bloke Thing prostate cancer roadshow visits more than 70 towns throughout regional Queensland annually, covering over 30,000km, to raise awareness but also to talk about detection and treatment.
Echoing the support available for breast cancer patients, it's successfully raised money to fund the first prostate cancer specialist nurses, who will be operating in the Toowoomba and Darwin regions.
This means that patients in rural south west Queensland and the Northern Territory will no longer need to travel for specialist care and treatment.
Ms Logan said she also travelled out to pastoral companies, at their invitation, to share her messages with the young people working on remote stations, thanks to the support of Wagners.
Past AgForce president Ian Burnett is her brother and is one of five men in her family who have been affected by prostate cancer, one of her strong motivations.
"A lot don't really understand what they should do," she said.
"We've been encouraging them to do their PSA test at the same time as their wives' mammograms.
"Their wives have been encouraging them to talk to us - they appreciate someone other than themselves pushing the message."
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
