If you’ve ever sneezed or laughed a little too hard and a bit of wee comes out, you’re one of the 1 in 3 Australian women who experience the ‘taboo’ condition of bladder leaks.

Sadly, almost 1 in 5 women feel too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about the subject and 64% think it’s still a taboo topic of conversation, to the point where ladies would rather look about weight gain, relationship problems and even mental health.

In line with World Continence Week, MAFS star, Jules Robinson has for the first time ever, opened up about her own experience with bladder leakage and teamed up working with Always Discreet to help inform Aussie women and let them know they aren’t alone. Bladder leakage should no longer be a taboo.

It’s Alot More Common

Speaking about her own experience, Jules said, “there have been previous occasions where I’ve had ‘accidents’, like many women, however it wasn’t until my pregnancy that I realised bladder leakage was ‘a thing’ and can be experienced more frequently by women during that time in their lives. And after speaking to my girlfriends and doing my own research, I’ve since learnt that having bladder leaks is a lot more common – amongst women of all ages – than we think.”

Why Is Bladder Leakage Such A Taboo?

When asked why Jules thought it was such a taboo she said “I think this comes down to the unfortunate fact that bladder leakage (like so many other topics) is still a taboo that many women don’t tend to fully understand and avoid talking about it at all. The more we can speak openly about the topic, the better, so women don’t have to feel alone and silenced by something that can be easily managed. It’s a normal occurrence for women and nothing to be ashamed of.”

Another factor could be that many women believe the condition typically occurs when people are over 45, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, more than one quarter of Aussie women aged 18-34 years have experienced bladder leaks.

Common triggers

Common triggers for bladder leakage include sneezing, coughing and laughing. One in three women are unable to control themselves during physical activity or exercising, and four in ten have experienced bladder leakage in public.

Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Lori Forner comments, “bladder leaks are common in women of all ages; however most women don’t realise they can learn to strengthen and coordinate their pelvic floor muscles by seeking help from physiotherapists trained in the area of pelvic health. Pelvic floor exercises have been shown to help prevent those triggering bladder leak moments.”

How Aussie women can manage their bladder leaks?

For those looking for further support, Always Discreet has just launched in Australia, with a range of liners, pads and underwear, specifically designed for bladder leaks.

Always Discreet Brand Director, Zulfiqar Mahar, added: “with more than two-thirds of Aussie women experiencing bladder incontinence at some stage of their life, we wanted to provide a line of effective incontinence liners, pads and underwear to support women, so they can feel more confident and comfortable going about their daily lives.”

The line provides incredible protection, and a super absorbent core that turns urine to gel, to help remove wetness and odour.

Always Discreet products are available in select pharmacies and all major supermarkets now, starting from $5.99 RRP.

Visit alwaysdiscreet.com.au for more information.

Is talking about bladder leakage still a taboo for you? Tell us in the comments below.

MoM Members have recently tried and reviewed Always Discreet Pads and Liners and have rated and reviewed them on the MoM site. 9 out of 10 women said they would recommend Always Discreet to others, see their reviews HERE. 

View this post on Instagram

????Ok Ladies of Australia and New Zealand we are renowned for typically being straight talking right ? But according to @alwaysdiscreetanz 64% of Aussie women consider bladder leakage as a taboo topic, and 4 out of 10 women who experience bladder leakage are doing so alone, never confiding in anyone. I have been doing some of my own research with my girlfriends, and it turns out that only 2 of 17 ladies have never had bladder leakage!! (Clearly we are all hysterically funny and a little wee comes out when we are all together laughing !) This to me proves that when @alwaysdiscreetanz says 1 in 3 woman have bladder leakage – they mean it!! So why are we so embarrassed to talk about it to each other? It seems there is a myth that bladder leakage only happens when you’re more mature aged or going through menopause, but this is not the case. I personally have had bladder leakage in my life!! Let’s be real!! What woman hasn’t!! And now being pregnant….well that’s a whole other story! If you have to go you gotta go!!! Please leave me a on my comments! #brakethetaboo I’m proud to be the new Ambassador of @alwaysdiscreetanz my role here is to break the “taboo”, be a voice for women who feel they have no voice and let them know they are not alone. Having lived in the UK Im very familiar with the incredible brand and the great campaigns they do and their work they do to end #periodpoverty. Their ethos is empowering women not just through feminine protection but through education, helping women feel supported, equal, live their best life with out any restrictions. I’m all about it! ???????? So lets break the taboo! Let’s support this campaign and follow @alwaysdiscreetanz , spark the conversation with a GF or with your GP and show me a #1in3 #sonormal #breakthetaboo For more education & tips on how to manage bladder leaks and protection through their liners, pads and underwear, visit www.alwaysdiscreet.com.au #insightful . #weealwaysgotyou #besthashtagever #launch #launchofbrand #reallife #realtalk #realinreality #ad #bladderleakage #notabboo #breakthetaboo

A post shared by Jules (@julesrobinson82) on Jun 18, 2020 at 3:25am PDT