Valentine’s Day is here – and romance is in the air! With all those roses and hearts everywhere, it’s easy to forget that February is National Cancer Prevention Month, too.

Men and women each have unique risks of Cancer and symptoms – and this is the perfect month to “pair up” and put together some Cancer Prevention Tips for men and women.

So, here’s a short list of “his” and “hers” types of cancer– and what you can do this month to prevent them.

Breast cancer prevention tips for women

• Stay active. Exercise 30 minutes a day, and you’ll reduce your risk of cancer by up to 30%.
• Stay away from hormone replacement therapy. If you must take hormones for menopausal symptoms, avoid progesterone.
• Don’t smoke or drink. Well, one drink a day is all right, but really, no more.
• Breastfeed your babies. If you nurse each baby for a year or longer, you’ll reduce your cancer risk.
• Find more breast cancer prevention tips from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Cervical cancer prevention tips for women

• Avoid the HPV virus. It’s usually spread via skin-to-skin contact during sex. So play safe and use a condom.
• Don’t smoke. Funny how the risk of smoking appears on every list of “how to prevent cancer” (read more).
• Get your vaccinations. Gardasil and Cervarix are approved for up to age 26.
• Learn more about cervical cancer prevention from the American Cancer Society.

Ovarian cancer prevention tips for women

• Use birth control. Oral contraceptives can reduce your risk by 30 to 50%, according to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
• Have a kid. Then breastfeed. If you get pregnant before age 25, your risk of cancer also go down.
• Get a tubal ligation. If you’re a higher-risk patient (family history of cancer, for instance), getting your tubes tied reduces your relative risk of ovarian cancer.

Prostate cancer prevention tips for men

• Eat fish, eat tomatoes and drink coffee. Believe it or not, a number of studies show that all three of these things reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
• Have sex regularly. Giving your prostate gland a workout keeps it in good running condition.
• Get tested for STDs. In particular, a parasitic infection called trichomoniasis can increase your risk for cancer. See your doctor.
• Read about more prostate cancer prevention tips for men from Men’s Health Magazine.

Testicular cancer prevention tips

• Get checked out. Your doctor should give you a regular physical to see if you have any abnormalities.
• Check yourself out. Testicular self-exams (TSEs) are also important. Read how to give yourself a TSE through this WebMD article.

For more helpful cancer Prevention Tips, read about these cancer fighting foods to eat.

Talk to us in the comments! What are you and a loved one doing to prevent cancer during National Cancer Prevention Month this February? 

(Images via Sarah Hearts.)