Addressing the gender gap in urinary continence care.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Gerontology
• Healthcare Disparities

Background:

• Urinary incontinence is prevalent in both genders, with prevalence increasing in older men.
• Despite higher prevalence in older men, best practice guidance for male urinary incontinence lags behind that for women.
• Existing barriers to healthcare access for men, exacerbated by the embarrassing nature of incontinence, are often overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight gender-specific gaps in the understanding and management of male urinary incontinence.
• To provide guidance for healthcare professionals on addressing male incontinence more effectively.
• To examine challenges in symptom identification, assessment, and management for male urinary incontinence.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on urinary incontinence prevalence and management.
• Analysis of gender-specific healthcare access barriers for men with incontinence.
• Examination of current practices in continence care and equipment provision.

Main Results:

• Significant lack of tailored best practice guidance for male urinary incontinence.
• Healthcare professionals demonstrate insufficient education in identifying and assessing male incontinence symptoms.
• Manufacturers' provision of continence management equipment may not adequately address male-specific needs.

Conclusions:

• Addressing male urinary incontinence requires recognizing and overcoming gender-specific barriers to care.
• Enhanced professional education and tailored management strategies are crucial for improving outcomes.
• Development of gender-sensitive continence care protocols and products is needed.