Stephen Morgan MP has welcomed the news that Portsmouth football club has become the first football club in the UK to provide male incontinence bins supporting Prostate Cancer UK and phs Group’s Dispose with Dignity initiative.
The Dispose with Dignity campaign aims to tackle the taboo surrounding male incontinence, backed up by solid measures to ensure that men have proper access to essential facilities and products that will improve their quality of life, including changing HSE guidance to make it mandatory for at least one male incontinence bin to be present in public washrooms.
The Dispose with Dignity campaign has been raising awareness of the need for male incontinence bins in public facilities to support men who have had treatment for prostate cancer.
Portsmouth Football Club has taken on 10 bins, across the club’s premises including fan washrooms and lounges, so that its supporters, staff and visiting away fans can dispose of their incontinence products with dignity behind the cubicle door.
Mr Morgan previously called on the Government to support the campaign, raising the issue through written parliamentary questions calling on the Government to take action to improve the provision of male incontinence bins in public toilets.
One in eight men will get prostate cancer, rising to one in four for Black men. For the over 475,000 men living with or after prostate cancer in the UK, many will experience urinary incontinence as a side effect of treatment for the disease.
In Portsmouth alone, almost 14,000 men could get prostate cancer, with urinary incontinence likely to be an issue for many of these men.
The provision of incontinence bins at Fratton Park gives a clear signal of the club’s efforts to provide adequate facilities for those suffering with male incontinence and reduce the associated stigma.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“I am delighted that Portsmouth Football Club will be installing sanitary bins for men who experience incontinence.
“Pompey is at the heart of our community, and it is so important to ensure all football fans have the provision they need to enjoy the games comfortably and without fear.
“I fully back this campaign and I look forward to seeing how the campaign continues to grow.”
To learn more about the Dispose with Dignity campaign, you can read more in Prostate Cancer UK and phs Group’s report here.
