A man from Oxfordshire is pushing for new laws requiring sanitary bins to be installed in male toilet facilities across the country.
Stefan Thomas, who lives in Witney, has become an advocate for a national initiative aimed at supporting both men and women managing bowel-related health conditions.
Thomas, who is 56 years old, received a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis in 1997.
The condition is an autoimmune disorder characterised by the development of ulcers in the bowel that result in bleeding.
Those affected by the illness experience bleeding during bathroom use.
Thomas disclosed that he may need to use the toilet as many as 50 times within a single day.
Thomas explained that he frequently lacks the ability to control when he needs to access a toilet.
When his body signals the need to go, he must respond immediately and cannot delay.
The Witney resident, who works as a professional speaker, makes it a practice to locate the nearest accessible toilet whenever he visits an unfamiliar venue.
His advocacy efforts began after he was admitted to hospital and spent time receiving treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital several years ago.
Following that experience, he made a decision to discuss his colitis and related bathroom health matters openly on his social media presence.
Thomas has since become an active collaborator with Prostate Cancer UK, the organisation spearheading the Boys Need Bins initiative.
The campaign brings attention to the fact that approximately one in every 25 men over the age of 40 experiences some degree of urinary leakage annually in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, roughly one in every 20 men aged 60 and above encounters bowel incontinence.
The initiative, which launched in 2022, is urging lawmakers to enact legislation mandating the provision of at least one sanitary bin specifically designed for men in male toilet facilities.
Thomas reported that since beginning his advocacy work, numerous individuals have reached out to credit him with motivating them or their partners to seek medical advice and commence treatment.
In a more personal reflection, he described a conversation with a gym acquaintance who follows his social media posts.
The individual expressed appreciation for Thomas’s candid discussions about bathroom health issues, explaining that he himself has prostate cancer and occasionally experiences urinary incontinence.
The man conveyed his wish that more individuals would adopt similar openness and noted the problem of sanitary bins being absent from men’s restrooms, which creates difficulties for those who need to dispose of continence pads or cleansing products.
Nick Ridgman, who serves as Head of Support Services at Prostate Cancer UK, explained that for men living with incontinence, the availability of a sanitary bin can determine whether someone possesses the freedom to leave their home or remains confined to it.
Many thousands of men throughout the United Kingdom experience incontinence, yet toilet facilities for men severely lack sanitary bins, leaving men unable to properly dispose of their continence products and often experiencing significant anxiety as a result.
The organisation is working to eliminate the stigma surrounding male incontinence and intends to persist until sanitary bins are provided in all toilet facilities across the country.
The charity expressed deep appreciation for supporters like Thomas who help raise awareness, as well as for the backing received from local authorities, companies, medical institutions, and elected representatives including MP Charlie Maynard.