It’s not an easy subject to talk about, as for most men the very idea of wearing a product in their pants makes them feel less manly  

Social media shares every last detail about people’s daily lives, but ‘bladder weakness’ is still a Twitter trend too far. Could making light of it help break the taboo?

Bladder problems might affect as many as 14 million people in the UK, so why is the matter not talked about more openly?

Around 47 per cent of women experience bladder weakness, reckons TENA, while a survey for Femifree, a new device designed to improve pelvic floor muscle tone, reports that 68 per cent of women who are affected have never consulted their GP about it. Worryingly, 57 per cent have never even mentioned their condition to family or friends. For men, reluctant to discuss their health at the best of times, it is thought that one in four over the age of 40 may experience bladder weakness at some point.

So what can be done to get people talking about the subject? Humour may offer a way in, but when 30 per cent of women suffering from urinary incontinence admit they try to laugh less and 50 per cent worry about laughing out loud in public, is that a good idea?

TENA thinks so. Its ‘Oooops moments happen’ campaign uses gentle humour to promote the lights by TENA range for Women, while it is has gone for something more laugh-out-loud for men in its ‘Keep Control’ campaign.

This launched in March on YouTube and Twitter and features a suave character called Stirling Gravitas. “He’s a guy who is in control of every aspect of his life; his masseuse, his pet lion, even the laws of physics. And his advice to men with urine leakage is to keep control with TENA Men,” says advertising agency AMV BBDO.

“It’s not an easy subject to talk about, as for most men the very idea of wearing a product in their pants makes them feel less manly. Even those who get as far as doing something about it prefer to stuff tissues down there instead. It’s a subject they’d rather not think about. So the campaign uses humour to take the seriousness and stigma out of the issue. Instead of feeling helpless and vulnerable to urine leakage, TENA Men helps you to man-up and regain control of the situation.”

Communicating in store

Displaying incontinence information in store with point of sale material will further help ‘desensitise’ customers, says Cathy Crossthwaite, Numark’s marketing co-ordinator. “The more info surrounding incontinence, the less of a taboo subject it will be. Most of the incontinence brands offer training and support materials that staff can use to help customers determine what product they need in a more discreet way rather than direct questioning of symptoms.

“Many people don’t want to ask for help but to review products for themselves; people may be more inclined to browse if the category is merchandised in a quieter area of the pharmacy for a bit more privacy and if information such as leaflets is readily available for customers to help themselves.”

One idea is to offer ‘point-to cards’ to help with describing the condition. “Saying the words can be much more difficult for customers than pointing to a particular issue on a card.”

Christina Turner, brand manager for Procter & Gamble’s Always and Tampax, adds: “As pharmacies offer one-on-one consultancy, they are in a favourable situation to start the conversation on adult incontinence (AI) with their customers and discreetly find out about the specific nature of their condition.”

Stocking brands with a wide range of products “offers solutions for every type of AI, putting pharmacists in a strong position to recommend the product that can be right for each individual case so that affected women can live their lives with confidence.”

Making it easier for men

A key way for pharmacies to build a better bladder weakness category is to diversify into the male market, says Donna Wilson, TENA training and brand manager. “Many men assume that bladder weakness products are only available for women, so will often ignore the issue or improvise with homemade solutions.” Stocking a range of products that have been specifically manufactured for this demographic, in a variety of absorbencies, is the “perfect” way to introduce men to the category, says Ms Wilson.

“To help grow this in store, pharmacists could dual site products so that men who are looking to purchase urine leakage products can look in the male fixture before the intimate hygiene fixture. This would help capture men, and also women purchasing products on behalf of their partners – driving potential sales in this emerging growth area.”

To help the TENA Men range look more at home in the male fixture, and to drive further differentiation with the feminine ranges, the TENA Men packaging has been re-launched with a “slick new look”. The new packaging features a standout box and dark colours, emulating other male products in the healthcare category. A new absorbency indicator on packs informs customers of the different levels of protection offered by each product. “The masculine look and feel will noticeably set TENA Men aside from feminine ranges, to make it clear to consumers that there are specific male products available,” says Ms Wilson.

In addition, July saw the launch of the first product in the range, which is coloured black making it suitable for dark underwear worn by men. The TENA Men Protective Shield is described as having an “ultra-absorbent core” and being “incredibly thin”, and features “unique odour control”. The shield-like protection is designed to fit securely and discreetly in men’s underwear.

Other innovation

The men’s side is not alone in product development. TENA has also launched the TENA u-test, “a fully integrated solution for collecting and analysing urine for the detection of urinary tract infections (UTIs). For customers experiencing bladder weakness, it is always crucial to detect or exclude the presence of a urinary tract infection as this can lead to an individual experiencing bladder hypersensitivity,” says Ms Wilson. “Bladder weakness and UTIs are both very common, and more often than not, the two can be linked. In fact, up to half of women in the UK experience bladder weakness and one in two will experience a urinary tract infection.”

TENA u-test is placed directly onto a clean bladder weakness pad for a “simple and convenient” diagnosis. Handling the test takes five minutes and results are available 15 minutes after urination, with results being valid for up to 24 hours.

For women, lights by TENA Long Liners Duo Pack has been added to the growing portfolio of purpose made products for light bladder weakness, and the new lights by TENA Ultra Towel has been introduced. “To help facilitate the trade-up between lights by TENA and TENA Lady, the new lights by TENA Ultra Towel meets the needs of loyal lights by TENA customers who require heavier absorption for light bladder weakness,” says TENA.

“Bridging the gap between the lights by TENA Long Liner and the smallest product in the TENA Lady range, TENA Lady Mini, the lights by TENA Ultra Towel utilises the key benefits of each innovative product for women currently using regular feminine protection to cater to their needs.”

A new addition to P&G’s Always brand is Always Discreet, “a line-up designed for women with sensitive bladder available in liners, pads and pants. The liners and pads are thinner (up to 40 per cent) than the leading brand, while absorbing two times more than women may need,” says P&G. “The pants provide up to 100 per cent comfort and protection. The pads come in a re-closable wrapper for discreet disposal too.”

The Femifree option

Femifree uses electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to stimulate and strengthen the pelvic floor muscle groups. It has been designed with Multipath criss-cross technology, so that the garment can be placed around the upper thigh and buttock area. Electrodes are precisely positioned to allow the multi-directional signal technology to stimulate focused, accurately co-ordinated and highly effective pelvic floor muscle contractions.

Femifree usage is recommended for 30 minutes each day, five days a week. After four weeks of treatment, 93 per cent of study participants noted a significant improvement in the amount of involuntary urine leaked, and 60 per cent were defined as dry. After 12 weeks, 86 per cent of study participants were defined as dry or almost dry, with an average 74 per cent reduction in involuntary urine loss over 24 hours.

Femifree is available from www.Femifree.co.uk priced at £329 (RRP).