Public proclamations are issued by federal and state executives and legislatures to honor, celebrate, or raise awareness about a noteworthy event or issue with public relevance. With respect to urological health, public awareness is essential for prevention. Urologists in particular understand how awareness is the first step to encouraging the public to take preventive action,¹ including early screening and detection of early-stage disease.² Lack of awareness is an impediment to good urological health. For malignant conditions, public awareness and perception can change physician behavior³ and even mean the difference between life and death. All urologists can serve as champions for grassroots advocacy and public education and awareness.

Accelerating State Advocacy in Texas

In June of 2022, I (AMB) started serving on the AUA State Advocacy Committee (SAC). This has been a great way for me to expand my past decade of Texas medical advocacy into the urology realm. One of the things SAC committee members have done is to ask our state legislators and/or governors to formally recognize a particular month as awareness for a specific urologic disease by requesting a proclamation. We have thus far aligned these requests with national movements to raise awareness about different urological cancers.

Although each state has different processes by which to request proclamations, a former SAC manager, Andrea Oh, assembled a simple tool kit to help urologists do this efficiently. I’ve done this twice before on behalf of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month each September. The SAC has also sponsored a contest to see who can request a proclamation the fastest, with the winner receiving a donation to the AUAPAC (AUA Political Action Committee) in their name. This past April, the SAC solicited proclamations for Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and I was lucky enough to win that distinction.

Requesting a proclamation is a simple process in Texas. The SAC tool kit has a link directing me to the Governor’s website. Then I simply request the proclamation after choosing a couple of drop-down options about the purpose of the request. The tool kit includes templated phrasing of the proclamation, and I added a couple of Texas-specific word changes, cut and paste, and submitted for consideration. The process took me literally less than a minute!

Within the next month, I was sent a formal certificate of the requested proclamation (Figure 1). These proclamations are often listed on government websites and in press releases which help to bring awareness to the general public. With these actions, urologists can have a positive impact on the health of our communities.

Engaging our Communities, Trainees, and Lawmakers in Advocacy

Similarly, in Minnesota we (CFG and KK) have garnered the support of our governor and the State Office of Public Engagement in recognizing awareness months. We have been very successful in the past few years to have the governor issue proclamations for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September, Bladder Cancer Awareness Month in May, and most recently Testicular Cancer Awareness Month in April (Figure 1).

The importance of these proclamations is multifaceted. The potential impact on our patients and communities is direct. Our objective is clear: we hope to increase awareness of these urological conditions. Having the seal of the Office of the Governor on a proclamation means something to the public, and it can inspire individuals to learn more about the disease, recognize the public impact these “hidden” conditions can have, and encourage discussion about necessary screenings and treatment options.

Additionally, patients and families can better prepare for discussions with their physician and care team to create an individualized treatment plan through informed, shared decision-making. Creating and expanding awareness of urological cancers help patients understand the magnitude of the disease burden at state and national levels, which in turn can strengthen local support as patients navigate their treatment journeys.

We are often asked by medical students, urology residents, and fellows how they can get involved in advocacy efforts. Disease awareness proclamations are an excellent opportunity to show trainees how we as urologists can make an impact on public awareness in a visible way. We recently visited the Minnesota State Capitol with our residents and fellows to receive a proclamation announcing September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Minnesota (Figure 2). By exposing trainees to advocacy efforts early in their careers and incorporating policy and advocacy concepts into our teaching, we can encourage sustained participation in advocacy efforts throughout their careers.

Finally, amplifying awareness of urological conditions at the state and federal levels through mechanisms like proclamations also informs our lawmakers about what is important to us as their constituents. For instance, when annual appropriations discussions occur and decisions are made about research funding priorities, focusing legislators’ attention on the burden of urological disease through grassroots awareness efforts is vital to our advocacy efforts. Sharing the significance of our successes, such as state proclamations, helps us achieve these national advocacy goals and broadens the impact of urologists pursuing advocacy in their respective states.

We encourage all AUA members to join us and request governors’ proclamations for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September!