Campaigns
07 Aug 2024Introducing BOG STANDARD: the campaign that is helping men with incontinence
New research shows men with incontinence are missing out on day-to-day activities as well as major life milestones as a result of poor public facilities.
The research, commissioned by phs Group, finds that almost three-quarters of men who experience incontinence have had to opt out of seeing friends and family, while four in five of them miss day-to-day activities due to fears about leaking and not having easy access to sanitary bins to dispose of their used incontinence products in public. The study also showed two-thirds of men have not been able to attend a major life event and three in five said that their mental health had been affected.
How are Prostate Cancer UK helping men with incontinence?
In light of the findings, we’re pleased to show our support for the BOG STANDARD charter, which is a set of guidelines designed to educate and ensure businesses and the public sector provide men with the facilities they need to dispose of incontinence waste with dignity.
We want men living with incontinence to feel confident and supported, whether they are in their workplace or out and about socialising with family and friends.
By adopting the BOG STANDARD, businesses can play a pivotal role in creating supportive environments where men can dispose of incontinence waste with dignity.
The campaign launch is accompanied by a short film which tells the real-life stories of those missing out on moments as a result of the lack of adequate provision.
Meet the faces behind BOG STANDARD
Peter Jones, 76, from Watford was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and had an operation to remove his prostate the same year. The treatment was successful in removing the cancer but left him with incontinence. He said:
My incontinence really affected me mentally. My confidence just went through the floor. I remember the first time being out in public after I became incontinent, and I had to go and change my pad in the toilet of a theatre. There was nowhere for me to put it. I had to put the used pad in a carrier bag and put it under my seat during the second half. In the end I thought, I really don’t want to be doing this and I don’t want to go out anymore. I made excuses not to go anywhere and I got really depressed with it. If there were bins everywhere, I would have gone out so much more, I wouldn’t have missed all these moments.
phs Group’s CEO, Matthew Brabin said: “phs Group is a business that puts people at the heart of its products and services and the BOG STANDARD Charter builds on the joint initiative we proudly launched with Prostate Cancer UK last year. Our aim is to remove the stigma around male incontinence and work with our customers to provide facilities for men to dispose of their incontinence facilities with dignity. It’s what we would want for our friends, colleagues, family members or ourselves, and this is why we are so passionate about this cause.”
phs Group has partnered with Prostate Cancer UK since 2023. The partnership builds on the Dispose with Dignity campaign and aims to better support those diagnosed with prostate cancer and living with incontinence, whilst ensuring male hygiene bins are available in all public and workplace washrooms.
