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The growing demand for adult diapers has reached a value of US$ 15.4 Billion in 2020. According to consumers, they’re popular because anyone can buy them in most stores and they can choose from various options.
However, adult diapers have drawbacks that many people tend to ignore because of their perception that this is the only economical and convenient way to manage this urinary incontinence.
What is the reality behind adult diapers? Read on and find out.
The Reality About Adult Diapers
Diapers are inconvenient
Long-time diaper users know the inconvenience that comes with it. When going outdoors, they need to carry a change of diapers, which they have to hide as discreetly as possible. They also need to find a bathroom to change privately. Not to mention the inconvenience of having a full diaper, which can leak anytime.
And in the event of leakages, the unmistakable smell of urine can cause embarrassment to the user. This can affect his overall well-being.
Isolation and mental distress
As mentioned above, when full, diapers can leak. This is why some people suffering from Urinary incontinence (UI), choose to stay at home, refusing to go out. This is proven by an NCBI study which states that. “ incontinent people may experience feelings of frustration, embarrassment, and shame as a result of their condition, and they may reduce or avoid social contacts and activities in order to control UI and its effects”.
Skin rashes and infections
Because incontinents use diapers frequently, their skin is constantly rubbing against the diaper. This causes friction, and consequently, diaper rash, which can be both painful and irritating. Additionally, the warmth and moisture trapped between the skin and diaper can be a perfect breeding ground of bacteria, like those that cause Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
They are expensive
It might seem like diapers are cheap, but they are expensive if you factor in the frequency of use. For example, adults suffering from urinary incontinence use about four to five diapers per day. In a year, they will be spending a couple of thousand dollars for approximately 1,800 pieces of diapers.
This expense does not even include related health and wellness costs for diaper rash creams or ointments, medications, and hospitalization due to Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), which experts have found to be side effects of prolonged diaper use.
Additionally, the indirect costs of using diapers might reach to triple their price. There’s the cost of their negative impact to mental health, productivity, and isolation. Instead of living their life to the fullest, they choose to stay at home to avoid inconvenience and embarrassment.
They are a bane to the environment
Because diapers are disposable, they have become the third-largest single consumer item in landfills, with 3.6 tonnes thrown annually. In addition, they contain Tributyltin, an anti-bacterial ingredient that can poison marine life.
The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) they contain are quickly released into the air when exposed to heat. When this happens, the VOCs aggravate air pollution by forming gaseous and particulate pollutants in the atmosphere.
And since they take up to 500 years to degrade, their negative effects on the environment will still affect future generations. Burning them is more dangerous to the environment and people’s health and wellness, as they release harmful toxins and increase carbon emissions.
Not to mention that creating diapers for the USA alone means cutting down 200,000 trees every single year.
In Japan, most used paper diapers are collected and burned as domestic general waste. Paper diapers are estimated to account for 6–7% of total household combustible waste. Additionally, the high moisture content caused by excreta in used paper diapers results in a low calorific value, limiting heat recovery effectiveness during burning.
Yes, there are ways to address this issue. One way is through using ActivGo®.
Why?
And since it collects urine in a specialized bag away from the groin area, there are very low chances of getting diaper rashes or contracting UTI.