Thinx Releases Underwear For Women With Urinary Incontinence

Diapers are typically associated with children or older adults, but in reality, urinary incontinence can be a problem for people at any age. It’s not uncommon for a tiny trickle of pee to let loose anytime you cough, sneeze, jog or laugh. Women in particular might have this problem following childbirth, and roughly one-third of the female population experience bladder leakage.

Thinx, the company who introduced the world to period-proof underwear, now offers pee-proof panties under its line, Icon. According to the company’s website, each pair can hold up to six teaspoons of urine. Sold in hi-waist, hiphugger, bikini and thong styles, the panties don’t come cheap and range from $28 to $36 per pair. But they are machine washable, so will likely save you money in the long run. However, the company lets you test them out with a 30-day return policy. A portion of each sale goes to the Fistula Foundation, which funds treatment for women with obstetric fistula around the world. As the organization explains, the condition occurs in women after birth. Pressure against the pelvis from the baby prevents blood from flowing to the tissues in the area. As a result, these tissues fall off and a hole between the vagina and bladder remains, allowing feces and urine to pass into the vagina.

While this is not a problem in the United States (a simple surgery can resurrect the issue), many women in developing countries are often shunned as a result of developing a fistula.

"These women have so much shame and so much fear. They spend so much money on perfume trying to cover up the smell," Dr. Alison Heller, PhD and medical anthropologist, told CNN. The news site reports that women typically don’t know anything about their condition and have limited resources to undergo the surgery, which costs about $450 all total.

The foundation provides money to treatment centers around the world including in Nigeria, Nepal and Afghanistan.

In the United States, it’s not uncommon for women to experience urinary incontinence during pregnancy. Known as stress incontinence, this is due to pressure on the bladder from the baby, which makes it hard to hold in urine. Some women complain of having bladder leakage after giving birth. Some might chalk this up to stretching, but WebMD explains that the urethra and bladder can actually move during pregnancy.

To treat female incontinence, doctors recommend bladder training, which calls for using the restroom at certain times of the day and increasing the time between breaks. Alternatively, some women may practice holding their urine when the urge to pee hits. In addition to these natural techniques, medications or Kegel exercises can also be used.



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