Millions of women are being forced off the sports field by bladder leaks, research from TENA has revealed, with the average age for quitting sport altogether now just 37 years old.
Driven by feelings of embarrassment,self-consciousness and shame,seven in 10 women have given up sport before the age of 40 because of the issue.
To highlight the dropout rate, TENA installed 10 suspended rugby shirts between the posts at Sale FC’s stadium, home of Sale Sharks Women, with seven left blank to represent players who have left sport due to bladder leaks, bringing the issue starkly to life on the pitch.
Now, in an effort to keep more women in sport for longer and offer solutions for the often-curable issue, TENA has teamed up with broadcaster and women’s health advocate Em Clarkson and Sale Sharks and Scotland Women’s player and physio Molly Wright.
The pair have curated a content series that will challenge the stigma around incontinence and encourage more open discussion around women’s health in sport.
The content will be hosted on TENA’s Instagram broadcast channel and will feature tips from Clarkson and Wright, as well as an array of educational resources that are aimed at helping them stay active, strong and leak-free.
Em Clarkson, who recently shared her own recovery and return to exercise following the birth of her second daughter, said: “When I talked about the issues I was having with my own pelvic floor health, and the steps I was taking to rehabilitate it, I was so struck by how many people asked me questions about the issue and what could be done for them. It made me realise that this is simply not something we are speaking about nearly enough, which is leaving women suffering in silence for such a long time.
“There are so many barriers that face women in sport, whatever that sport is. It’s such a frustration that this often preventable one is such a common one. We know that people suffer and then leave sport. We want to support those people, give them the right information so that they don’t have to experience bladder leaks.”
Mark Geddes, Brand Manager at TENA Women, said: “Women’s sport has never been more popular, but far too many still feel forced to walk away because of barriers like bladder leaks, it’s clear more support and education is urgently needed.
“Sport plays a vital role in our lives, boosting physical health, confidence and wellbeing, and every woman should feel able to stay in the game for as long as she wants. At TENA, we recognise that bladder leaks affect every woman differently, which means there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why we’re here to support women throughout their pelvic health journey with a range of solutions. Through our educational tools and products, we hope to help more women manage leaks with confidence and stay in the sports they love for longer.”
The new research also suggests that the issue is impacting women of all ages with nearly a third of Gen Z women having experienced bladder leaks and the issues having effected half of millennials.
Of those impacted almost two-thirds of Gen Z women who experience bladder leaks saying it has caused them to give up or cut back on sport, while nearly one in five have quit altogether.
For the majority that have given up, a whopping 83% believe simple changes such as completing regular Kegel exercises, would have helped keep them in sport for longer.
