When we think about bladder leakage we usually think of the oldest people in our society. I’ve heard parents joke with their kids about how someday their kids will have to help change their adult-diapers. While this joking is usually intended in a light-hearted way and not to be cruel to anyone, it shows how we think of bladder leakage as a problem that only happens to the oldest members of our society. It also shows that there is a stigma attached to bladder leakage because we have a desire to joke about it.
While we might think of bladder leakage as a problem experienced by senior citizens when living in nursing homes, most of us realize that for some it starts younger, when people are still active and healthy. Still, I was surprised that bladder leakage doesn’t just sometimes begin while people are still healthy, it USUALLY does. In fact, the average age for people with bladder leakage is just 52. That means 1/2 of people with bladder leakage are even younger than 52.
I knew I had a female family member who has had bladder leakage trouble and I wanted to share her experience with everyone. She asked to keep her identity private, but she is a 61-year-old in my family. I asked her when she first experienced bladder leakage and she said she had minor issues after she gave birth for the second time, when she was in her younger 20s. I asked her how she went about finding products to help her, and she said she just relied on period pads because she thought they were the only discreet solution but they did not work particularly well. Her more significant bladder leakage problems began around age 46 after she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that affects her muscles. At that point she knew she needed a product that was specific to bladder leakage but she was still afraid to mention her struggles to her sisters or friends because she assumed they were all too young to be having the same trouble. The only person who knew about her problem was her doctor, and he simply told her about adult briefs without explaining that discreet adult briefs like Depends ActiveFit briefs are available. She thought he was referring to bulky diapers like she had seen bedridden elderly people wear. At 46 she was still wearing form-fitting clothing and worried that briefs would be very noticeable under her clothing. She thought she had to choose between changing her fashion or using bladder leakage products.
My family members story is not unique. There are more people in their 20s with bladder leakage than people in their 80s! There are more people under age 50 with bladder leakage than there are people with bladder leakage over age 60.
Depends knows that having discreet protection is important for active and healthy people, especially those who are younger.Depends ActiveFit briefs are designed to be low-rise and trim so they can be worn with regular clothing without showing. They come in colors like black and beige instead of just white so they look more like underwear. They also ensure that their products are not bulky or baggy to help them stay discreet.
If you believe that people with bladder leakage shouldn’t be ashamed of their condition, you can help Depends spread awareness. They have been working on the #underwareness campaign for 3 years now, which aims to decrease the stigma related to bladder leakage. Share a photo or video on social media with the hashtag #underwareness and Depends will donate $1 up to a total of $3 million through 2016 to charities that advance the research and education of bladder leakage.
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
Wow these don’t look like the Depends I know. I’m a caregiver and nurse and over the years these have changed for the better. They almost look stylish! I prefer the black ones, not white.
I am glad too see this is becoming more out in the open. So many women suffer silently from this and use period pads. It is common, but embarassing.
I am lucky I dont have this but know women who do. They always think they smell funny, or are struggling with trying to control it with products not designed for it. I have seen thesee Depends, and have ordered samples and am surprised how light they really are!
I was taking some medications that made me lose bladder control and I only had the pads to use. I no longer have that problem but I’m glad there are better ways to deal with it.
ellen beck
Sarah L
kathy downey
Wow these don’t look like the Depends I know. I’m a caregiver and nurse and over the years these have changed for the better. They almost look stylish! I prefer the black ones, not white.