Have you ever sneezed, coughed or laughed and a little, or a lot, of wee comes out? Well 1 in 3 Australian women admit to experiencing bladder leaks which can be socially debilitating.
More than 40% of women use fem care products for leakage but because they are not designed specially for this, the confidence of protection is not there.
This morning I was invited to the virtual launch of Always Discreet’s line of bladder leakage products, with Australian women in mind. Welcoming their brand Ambassador Jules Robinson, I was glued to the screen as the panel discussed this taboo subject and was openly surprised by the statistics.
I sit in an office of women aged from 23yrs to 53yrs and they joined in with me in the virtual launch which saw us discuss our own experiences with bladder leakage. I certainly have many moments where I need to cross my legs if I have a laughing or sneezing fit.
Until today I didn’t realise there are two types of incontinence, however some women can have a bit of both. It is not so common in women under 30yrs however they are not excluded.
Stress incontinence is when you leak when you cough, sneeze and laugh and is common after pregnancy or if you strain through constipation or are overweight.
Urge incontinence is more common the older you get as your pelvic floor weakens further after menopause.
Unfortunately bladder leakage is linked to depression as women tend to avoid exercise which affects their mental wellbeing. Also if they are scared of an incident, they stop drinking fluids and get dehydrated, which can make you feel very unwell.
There is help in many cases through specialist Physiotherapists but there are many women that this will not benefit from this. This is where Always Discreet comes in as a product which is specifically designed to to be discreet, protect and keep you feeling feminine.
We heard from the lead designer of Proctor and Gamble who is behind Always Discreet and she took us through the whole design process which gave insight as to why fem care products just don’t cut it when it comes to bladder leakage.
Always Discreet pads are incredibly thin even though their core design comprises different layers, described as Marie Kondo style. Also a fun fact is that these products can neutralise the smell of Urea by locking it away before it has contact with oxygen, which turns it into ammonia which has THAT smell. We were even shown the discreet way to dispose of the product after use. I certainly have learnt a lot this morning.
So whether you have a weak pelvic floor due to childbirth, menopause or through constipation, there is now a product that can keep this leaky problem concealed. You can now confidently carry on doing jumping jacks, laugh your head off or just have a great big loud sneeze without crossing your legs.
#weealwaysgotyou
Always Discreet’s new research shows that, although 1 in 3 Aussie women experience bladder leaks, 64% of women agreed it’s still a taboo topic of conversation.
Astoundingly, we found that almost 1 in 5 (18%) women feel too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about the subject.
Whilst bladder incontinence is common amongst women of all ages, nine in ten (88%) have never discussed it with a GP
Whilst exercises are one way women can help control leaks, four in ten (44%) women have experienced bladder leakage in a public setting
Rebecca Pini is the founder and Managing Director of made4media, a fully integrated creative, marketing and communications agency specialising in brand development and management, social media, traditional & digital communications, advertising, events, creative design & video production. With 30 years in television, marketing and communications, Rebecca has had extensive experience in many facets of the changing marketing and communications industry.
Married with two teenagers, Rebecca is also the owner of SheSociety. Supporting women has always been a passion and she is very proud of this creative platform which women can share their thoughts, insights and opinions.
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