Each November, Movember puts men's health in the spotlight, with a focus on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Bladder leakage sits right across those priorities. Around 1 in 10 Australian men experience urinary incontinence, and it is common after prostate cancer treatment. Yet it is rarely raised with a GP, let alone with a mate. That silence can take a real toll on wellbeing.

Our team is taking part in Movember

This year the IncontinenceProducts.com.au team is taking part in Movember to help raise awareness of men's mental health. That includes the everyday conversations about continence that so many men avoid.

We'll be documenting the month here on the blog and on our socials. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook. If you'd like to support the cause, you can donate directly to Movember.

Donate to MovemberFollow our Movember

How bladder leaks affect mental health

For many men, the hardest part of incontinence isn't the leak itself. It is the impact on everyday life. Common experiences include:

• Withdrawing from activities such as sport, work events, travel or social catch-ups.
• Changes in relationships and intimacy, driven by worry about leaks or odour.
• Constant planning around toilets, fluids and spare clothing.
• Embarrassment and isolation, which make it harder to ask for help.

Over time, this can contribute to low mood, anxiety and loneliness. Men are already less likely to seek help for mental health, and around three in four people who die by suicide in Australia are men (ABS).

Continence products can make leakage easier to manage, but they are not a treatment for anxiety or depression. Emotional support belongs alongside physical care.

In their words: voices from our community

Men in our community, and the families who care for them, have shared what regaining everyday confidence has meant. We're grateful to every one of them. Each story makes it a little easier for the next person to speak up.

Starting the conversation

Men often find it easier to talk side by side than face to face: on a drive, on a walk or while working on something together. If someone seems off, Movember recommends a simple four-step approach, ALEC:

Movember's free mental health conversations guide lets you practise these conversations before you have them.

If you are the one struggling, start with one person you trust, or your GP. A GP can help with both bladder symptoms and mental health, including a mental health treatment plan where appropriate. A continence nurse can then help with the practical side.

Men's mental health resources

Free, confidential support is only a call or click away.

• Lifeline13 11 1424/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. Call, text or chat online.
• MensLine Australia1300 78 99 78Free 24/7 phone and online counselling for men, on anything from relationships to stress.
• Beyond Blue1300 22 463624/7 support for anxiety and depression, plus online forums.
• Suicide Call Back Service1300 659 46724/7 phone and online counselling for anyone affected by suicide.
• 13YARN13 92 7624/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, from Mob.
• Medicare Mental Health (Head to Health)1800 595 212Free help finding the right mental health service near you.
• Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia1800 22 00 99Free specialist counselling for men and families affected by prostate cancer.
• National Continence Helpline1800 33 00 66Free, confidential advice from continence nurses.
• Australian Men's Shed AssociationFind a local Men's Shed for mateship, a project and a yarn.
• Healthy MalePlain-English information on men's health, from prostate to mental health.
• Black Dog InstituteResearch-backed information and online tools for mental health.

If life is in immediate danger, call 000.

Community quotes are taken from customer reviews and shared as written. This information is general in nature and does not replace individual medical advice. Speak with your GP or a continence nurse specialist about any new or changing bladder symptoms, or about your mental health.