A CAMPAIGN to help men suffering incontinence by installing sanitary bins in public locations is being backed by Transport for Wales.

The “Boys need Bins” campaign by Prostate Cancer UK highlights just what a barrier incontinence can be.

According to their research, a survey of men living with incontinence reveals that 95% feel anxiety due to a lack of sanitary bins in men’s toilets for disposing of pads hygienically.

The new initiative is based on key statistics, including;

  • Nearly one third of men surveyed have been forced to carry their own waste in a bag.
  • 1 in 3 men over 65 in the UK experience urinary incontinence, and 1 in 20 men aged 60 and over live with bowel incontinence.
  • The ‘Boys need Bins’ campaign, led by Prostate Cancer UK, is calling on the government to change existing legislation so that sanitary bins are provided in all men's toilets.

And on the railway that anxiety is no exception. Independent customer group Transport Focus is working closely with TfW to help bring the campaign to the Wales and Borders network.

Lisa Cleminson,TfW’s Customer Operations Director,  said: “We know that using public transport is a great way to be more sustainable, but it comes with its anxieties too. Which platform do I need? Will my train be on time?

“Where do I have to change trains? So the last thing we want to do is add to that anxiety for men who need to dispose of their incontinence pads. It can impact mental health and put people off traveling altogether.

READ MORE: Flintshire teenager Izzy organises netball tournament for 'Mind' charity

“We as a rail industry have to take the lead in breaking down those barriers.”

“So I’m very proud to say that we are working with Transport Focus on a trial of sanitary bins in the men’s toilets at two of our busiest stations Cardiff Central and Chester. We then expect that to be rolled out at our key hub stations Shrewsbury, Newport and Swansea before expanding further.”

An emblem will be displayed on the doors of those toilets with sanitary bins so they are easy to identify and show TfW are working with Prostate Cancer UK.

OTHER NEWS

Nick Ridgman, Head of Health Information & Clinical Support at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “A man living with incontinence shouldn’t have to worry that he might have to carry around his own used pads when he’s out of the house, just because he can’t access a sanitary bin to dispose of it hygienically.

“For the hundreds of thousands of men in the UK living with incontinence, this is their reality. Their lives are being limited by the taboo that surrounds male incontinence, and the anxiety caused by a lack of basic facilities in men’s toilets.

"We're delighted that Transport for Wales is backing our Boys Need Bins campaign, and introducing sanitary bins in men's loos across its busiest railway stations.