A survey by Prostate Cancer UK has revealed that half of all men in the East of England have experienced symptoms associated with urinary incontinence.
In Essex, 1,050 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. For the more than 475,000 living with or after prostate cancer in the UK, many will experience urinary incontinence as a side effect of treatment for the disease.
Errol Mckellar, 65, of Dunmow, set up a support group for men with prostate cancer, or who have had the disease, after being diagnosed himself.
He said: "It’s trying to always know where your nearest toilet is.
"It’s always making sure that you have enough coverage, in incontinence pads or shields… And then when you get to the toilet, there’s problems there too.
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"What would make it easier is more help when you get to the toilets and more help when you’re inside the toilets.
"So somewhere to leave your pads that is safe for everyone, and ideally some pads so we don’t have to carry packs around with us everywhere. We need to look at how we can educate men and raise awareness of incontinence.
"If we can help men overcome that embarrassment, I think it would make a huge difference to how men seek treatment, but how they can live better lives too."
Prostate Cancer UK and hygiene services provider phs group have launched the campaign 'Dispose with Dignity'.
The campaign aims to tackle the taboo surrounding male incontinence, as well as introducing measures to ensure that men have proper access to essential facilities and products that will improve their quality of life, such as incontinence bins in public bathrooms.
Nick Ridgman, head of health information and clinical support at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "Incontinence affects hundreds of thousands of men across the country and is a frequent side effect of treatment for the most common cancer in men.
"Yet the research released today showcases a woeful lack of understanding and conversation that is impacting men’s mental and physical health, and has resulted in men not having the facilities they need to live life to the full."
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