One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and many experience bladder leaks as a result. While this prevalent disease can have a 99.9% survival rate if detected early, many men avoid taking action because of the “taboos” surrounding the subject of screenings and side effects. Depend is on a mission to demystify these topics and encourage men to take charge of their health in its fifth year of its Stand Strong for Men’s Health initiative, benefitting the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).

This Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Depend is also teaming up with Emmitt Smith, a legendary former football star and record-setting rusher whose exceptional career established him as one of football’s greatest players. Beyond his sports career, Smith has been involved in various philanthropic efforts and he understands first-hand the realities of prostate cancer – his late father was diagnosed with the disease. This fall, he’s using his platform to normalize conversations around men’s health and motivate more men to get checked and champion those who take control of their health.

“It’s so easy to avoid medical checkups and preventative care, but confronting these issues head-on is the ultimate display of strength,” says Smith. “I’ve experienced the impact that this disease has on families, which is why I’m taking part in the Depend Stand Strong for Men’s Health campaign, to encourage others to prioritize their health and get screened.”

New preventative screening can start with a simple blood test to detect the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein released into the bloodstream, which can catch the disease at an early stage when treatment may be more effective.

Since launching its Stand Strong for Men’s Health campaign in 2020, Depend has donated more than $1 million to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The initiative helps fund critical research such as this from the PCF that ultimately improves the treatment of prostate cancer. Now (Prostate Cancer Awareness Month) through November (Men’s Health Awareness Month), Depend will donate up to $300,000 from select product sales to support PCF’s critical mission.

For men diagnosed with prostate cancer, research funded by PCF has led to breakthroughs in evaluation and treatment, such as the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET scan. This technology allows doctors to see and track otherwise hard-to-find prostate cancer, potentially earlier and in much smaller amounts compared with imaging that is currently used. PSMA-based technology can also be used as a treatment for certain types of advanced prostate cancer to precisely deliver tiny doses of radiation to prostate cancer cells.