NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO AND INFOGRAPHIC
NYBLADDER- By Zoya Gervis
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
Bladder leakage is increasingly common among women ages 18 and up, according to new research.
A new study of 2,000 women of all ages found as many as 61 percent feel they regularly deal with bladder leaks.
The survey also found that over half of those polled (54 percent) feel embarrassed by their bladder issues.
According to a new survey commissioned by Icon, the pee-proof underwear company and conducted by OnePoll, over half of participants polled (61 percent) regularly deal with bladder leaks.
While 88 percent of those surveyed think that bladder issues (minor wetting) are common among women regardless of age, nearly half of survey participants (49 percent) feel that their quality of life has suffered because of leaks.
In fact, the results found that 33 percent of the women surveyed experience a bladder leak multiple times a day and 19 percent experience them every day, no matter how old they are.
And bladder leaks are not necessarily related to a woman's age- 62 percent of those polled have had bladder leaks occur in public.
Results also showed that seven in ten women were embarrassed after having a public leak, 56 percent felt awkward, 34 percent felt ashamed, and 29 percent felt “old.”
Kejal Macdonald, VP of Marketing for Icon, stated: “It’s no secret that bladder leaks happen often, but women are still so afraid of admitting to or discussing them at all. This survey demonstrates just how common leaks with adult women are and how that impacts their lives.
"Given all of this now evident information, it’s clear we have a long way to go to reduce the stigma surrounding bladder leaking.”
Survey results also showed that women avoid certain activities for fear of experiencing a bladder leak in public, with 27 percent missing out social events with others, because they are concerned about leakage; 22 percent avoid jumping; and 21 percent avoiding any trip involving a long car ride because of their deep concern of having any sort of bladder leak.
Hanging out with friends and going to social events becomes a problem for women who experience minor leaks on a regular basis.
In fact, a quarter of women surveyed (25 percent) have had their social life suffer as a result of their bladder leaks.
Women who are concerned about their bladder leaks take several precautions before going out:
67 percent put on panty liners just in case
51 percent go to the bathroom multiple times before leaving
39 percent avoid drinking water
22 percent research various bathroom options along their route before going out in preparation of potential leakage
Bladder issues are not a topic that is easily discussed for those who experience them, and that might be why 47 percent of women find that bladder leaks leave them with negative self-esteem.
Additionally, 32 percent have never talked about their leaks with anyone.
“At a time when women's health is such an important mainstream topic, we have to get rid of the shame around bladder leaks," Macdonald concluded.
ENDS
