SHOCKING statistics revealed by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan reveal that almost over one third (38%) of young men from the South West could not be encouraged to sign up to a blood stem cell or bone marrow register for any reason — despite the possibility of saving a life being a reason to do so.

While over a third (35%) of men from the South West considered themselves to be an ‘average man’, the poll, conducted by YouGov, surprisingly revealed that over one in five (22%) young men considered the average man to be ‘apathetic’. The findings have been released to cast light on the attitudes of young men aged 16 to 30 and encourage more of them to sign up to the Anthony Nolan Register.

Anthony Nolan’s campaign, March of the Men, is championing the complexities of young men, saying that there’s no such thing as an average man. The campaign shows that every young man is unique, and it’s their one of a kind DNA that could save someone’s life.

Men aged 16 to 30 are 3.5-times more likely to be chosen as a stem cell donor than average, however they make up only 15% of Anthony Nolan’s register.

When asked which words they associated with being an ‘average man’, just over one in six (17%) of men aged 16 to 30 chose ‘loyal’, nearly one in six (14%) picked ‘caring’ while just one in 25 (4%) chose ‘family-oriented’.

Anthony Nolan wants these insights into modern masculinity to inspire more young men to sign up to potentially save the life of someone in desperate need. Encouragingly, over half (58%) of young men from the South West reported they would consider joining a bone marrow or stem cell register if a friend or a family member needed a transplant, while almost two thirds (63%) said they would want other people to be registered if they or a family member needed a transplant.

Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan, said: ‘It’s incredibly important we raise awareness among young men about the power they have to save a life.

‘The young men from the South West who have already made the decision to sign up to the stem cell register have done something incredible and by that token they are anything but average!

‘We know from the countless lives saved by selfless young men that they are far from apathetic. However, this poll shows that there is still work to do in terms of addressing myths and concerns surrounding stem cell donation among young men.’

To join the register, all you have to do is fill out a form and provide a saliva sample. If you are a match for someone, donating involves a straightforward outpatient procedure, and 90% of the time the process is similar to giving blood.

Find out more about Anthony Nolan’s March of the Men campaign at www.anthonynolan.org/NotAverage