Research shows that thousands of men being treated for prostate cancer miss work or social events due to embarrassing side effects.
Four out of five patients who suffer from urinary incontinence indicate that the lack of public facilities affects their daily lives.
A quarter said the problem had prevented them from working at work.
Charities warn that this is leaving many men housebound, leading to social exclusion and damaging their mental health.
Peter Jones, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and underwent surgery to remove his prostate that same year.
The former IT manager underwent successful treatment and the cancer disappeared, but he was left with incontinence.
Thousands of men being treated for prostate cancer are missing work or social events due to embarrassing side effects, research finds (stock photo)
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with more than 52,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths each year
“My confidence was shattered,” he said, adding: “I can still remember the first time I went out in public after I became incontinent and had to change my sanitary towel in a theatre toilet.
‘I had nowhere to put it. I ended up having to put the used cushion in a carrier bag and put it under my seat during the second half.
‘Every time I went somewhere, it became so hard to figure out what to do with the pillow. Eventually I thought, I really don’t want to do this and I don’t want to go out anymore. I made excuses not to go anywhere and it really depressed me.’
The 76-year-old underwent another operation, which he says gave him “his life back,” but he says that should never have been a problem.
He added: ‘You wouldn’t expect a woman to take her sanitary towels to the bin, so why would you think it’s OK for men to do that?’
In the UK, around 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and around half of them suffer from urinary incontinence.
But few public men’s toilets – from workplaces to cafes and restaurants – have basic facilities like toilet bins.
The research, commissioned by Prostate Cancer UK and hygiene supplier PHS Group, found that seven in 10 men miss seeing friends and family, while a third avoid doing the weekly shop or going to the pub.
Four out of five patients suffering from urinary incontinence say that a lack of public facilities affects their daily lives (stock photo)
Others reported that this had an impact on family life, with 17 percent saying they had chosen not to take their children to school, while 13 percent had missed a parents’ evening.
Prostate Cancer UK is campaigning for the installation of male hygiene bins in men’s toilets across the UK.
Nick Ridgman, head of support services at Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘Hundreds of thousands of men in the UK suffer from incontinence, but they suffer in silence due to a dire lack of basic services.
‘Incontinence doesn’t have to mean you can’t enjoy life anymore. Still, many men don’t want to leave the house because they don’t know whether they can throw their used sanitary towels in a proper bin.’
‘Two-thirds of men in this new survey say their lives would improve if there were incontinence bins and vending machines in men’s toilets.’