- Although for centuries sanitary towels have been exclusively for women, there is now a variant for men.
- The first ones that were created several centuries ago used natural elements such as leaves of plants or trees to retain the menstrual flow, although they were not comfortable or hygienic.
- Over the years they have evolved to be safer for retaining menstrual flow.
The variety of inventions available is too wide. The objective of all of them is to facilitate a specific task of daily life, but there is also a recently created one that has been quite criticized. It’s about the sanitary napkins for men and although many doubt its existence, it is real because it was created against a specific disease.
Background
At first it was an innovation designed exclusively for women. Its appearance made their life easier during their menstrual period by allowing them to feel more comfortable, safe and with greater freedom of movement on those days. In ancient times, some natural elements such as leaves of plants or trees were used to retain the menstrual flow, although they were not comfortable or hygienic. Later, washable cotton cloth pads that could be reused were also used.
According to information from American Women’s Health and Menstruation MuseumCommercial disposable sanitary napkins appear to have emerged in the late 19th century with the Hartmann company in Germany and Johnson & Johnson in the United States. But it was not until the early 1970s that the first towel with adhesive strips was introduced to the market to keep it fixed in one place and avoid uncomfortable accidents.
With time and technological innovation, different feminine hygiene products have been developed for those days in order to provide greater comfort and safety. For example, in the 1930s two important innovations appeared for menstrual hygiene: tampons and menstrual cup. The first has the function of absorbing and the second only to contain. The latter, industrially produced and patented by the American Leona W. Chalmes, although very rudimentary cups already existed since 1867.
These cups did not have much demand and acceptance among the women of that time, so the project failed. Similarly, the tampon showed resistance from the public and doctors. However, patents for new cups continued to be made, but without success, so as of 1963 they ceased to be manufactured. It is until the end of the eighties that they reappear on the market, now made of a softer material (latex or silicone), with a smaller size, and also reusable, with a life of approximately 10 years.
Creation of sanitary napkins for men
All this context serves to talk about a recent innovation and it is about sanitary napkins for men. They were created for men who suffer from urinary incontinencea problem that affects millions of men around the world.
In this case, urinary incontinence is defined as loss of bladder control. Intensity ranges from occasionally leaking urine when coughing to having a sudden, strong need to urinate.
Although it occurs more frequently as people age, urinary incontinence is not an inevitable consequence of aging. While Mayo Clinic He divides it into five categories:
- Stress incontinence. Urine leaks when you put pressure on your bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting something heavy.
- Urge urinary incontinence. You have a sudden and intense need to urinate, followed by involuntary loss of urine. You may have to urinate frequently, even throughout the night. Urge urinary incontinence can be caused by a minor condition, such as an infection, or by a more serious disorder, such as a neurological disorder or diabetes.
- Overflow incontinence. You experience frequent or constant dribbling of urine due to your bladder not emptying completely.
- Functional incontinence. A physical or mental disability prevents you from getting to the bathroom on time. For example, if you have severe arthritis, you may not be able to unbutton your pants quickly enough.
- Mixed urinary incontinence. You experience more than one type of urinary incontinence; most of the time, this refers to the combination of stress incontinence and urge urinary incontinence.
For all of the above, sanitary napkins for men seek to offer an alternative for all men who suffer from this problem that often causes shame and shame.