The Continence Foundation of Australia is campaigning for more bins in men’s public toilets to boost confidence and social participation for men living with incontinence.
Finding a bin in a public toilet can be a daily struggle if you’re a man living with faecal or urinary incontinence. For Greg Ryan OAM, who was born with a rare condition called Imperforate Anus (IA) and wears incontinence pads, it’s a “needle in a haystack” experience.
“99.9 percent of the time I go somewhere, they wouldn’t have a bin,” he tells Facility Management.
While women’s bathrooms are regularly kitted out with sanitary bins under state guidelines, men have not come to expect the same. Ryan says this affects him greatly.
“If you’re having a bad day, you just don’t feel like you can leave home because you don’t want to get caught out,” he says.
Greg Ryan receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his work supporting those affected by IA
BINS4Blokes
Ryan is part of a mission to change this as an ambassador for BINS4Blokes. Spearheaded by the Continence Foundation of Australia, this campaign calls for incontinence product disposal bins to be installed in all male public toilets, enabling more men to get out and about.
According to the Continence Foundation of Australia, incontinence affects over 1.34 million Australian boys and men. Thirty six percent of those men are under the age of 50.
“Attitudes about incontinence can mean that people find it difficult to talk about their incontinence and get help,” says the Continence Foundation of Australia’s health promotion project officer Vicky Pentney.
“Many men do not talk to their family and friends about their incontinence and avoid situations where they cannot access a toilet easily. Incontinence can lead to social isolation, depression and anxiety in men, reducing their quality of life. In fact, research has found a clear link between incontinence and depression.”
While women’s bathrooms regularly provide sanitary bins, men’s do not
Living with stigma
These effects of stigmatisation resonate with Ryan. He cites shame and embarrassment as the reason he lived “totally in secret” until he was 54 years old, never divulging his condition beyond his family or doctors.
“The mental toll it took on me was just as much as the physical toll,” he says.
The catalyst for his disclosure was finding a private Facebook group in his early fifties that mainly consisted of parents of children with IA.
“Up until that stage I never knew a soul in the world who had it. I thought I was the only one because no one ever talks about it,” he says.
It took a few years of opening up within this private community, and encouragement from friends he started to confide in, before Ryan was ready to share his story more widely. In 2016, he travelled overseas to a conference and finally met others with IA.
“It was the first time I’d walked into a room where I felt like I belonged in that room,” he says.
“I felt like I was an equal because I always think that I’m lesser than everyone due to my condition.”
Enhancing social engagement for men with incontinence
Ryan has since shared his story around the world, written three books, hosted podcasts and founded the ONE in 5000 Foundation to raise awareness and understanding for IA. Despite his progress, and Bins4Blokes success stories like the MCG and selected Melbourne City Council-run facilities, access to appropriate toilet facilities continues to be a hurdle.
This has intensified post-pandemic as Ryan finds more paper towel bins – which sometimes offer covert disposal for used pads – have been removed.
He stresses the impact more incontinence bins, and awareness about their locations, could have.
“It’s not just the convenience, it’s the comfort level it gives you to know that if you have an issue, you can just go and change your pad,” he says.
What can facilities managers do?
According to Pentney, FMs can support BINS4Blokes by ensuring all male toilets have capacity to accommodate the installation of incontinence product disposal bins. The Continence Foundation of Australia’s recommendation is at least one cubicle equipped with an incontinence bin at each male toilet facility.
It’s also important for men to be aware of bin locations. The National Public Toilet Map shows the location of 23,000 public and private toilet facilities across Australia, including BINS4Blokes-supported facilities. Advertising the location of these bins around the toilets themselves also helps to improve access and usage, and remove the need for users to ask where they are.
BINS4Blokes stickers help to advertise the location of incontinence product disposal bins
“The last thing that anyone wants to talk about is their toilet habits,” adds Ryan.
The cost of installing an incontinence product disposal bin may vary depending on the provider nominated to service sanitary bins. Supporters of BINS4Blokes report costs to be approximately $25-$30 per bin per service.
The benefits of BINS4Blokes
With more bins in place and greater awareness about their locations, men and boys are more able to lead active lives with greater confidence and certainty, says Pentney.
“Greater access and participation will increase work productivity and improve the quality of life for men living with incontinence,” she says.
Read more about how to become a supporter on the BINS4Blokes website.
Free confidential information, advice and support for incontinence is available through the National Continence Helpline 1800 33 00 66.
Photography supplied by the Continence Foundation of Australia.
