UROLOGIC NURSING / September 1999 / Volume 19 Number 3 199

An estimated 13 millionAmericans of all agess u ffer from urinaryincontinence (UI), a

condition that decreases qualityof life, lowers self-esteem, andleads to a loss of independenceand dignity (Gallo & Staskin,1997). Many patients do notre p o rt UI to health care pro f e s-sionals because they are tooashamed or embarrassed to seekhelp. Others are unaware thatt reatment is available, or skepti-cal that treatment can help.

U r i n a ry incontinence, or lossof bladder control, is not a dis-ease but rather a symptom of anunderlying condition. Theinability to control the storage orrelease of urine ranges in severityf rom minor leakage (a few dro p s )with coughing, laughing, orsneezing, to the much more seri-ous problem of complete bladderemptying with or without warn-i n g .

Most health care pro v i d e r sa g ree that surg e ry, medication,and behavioral modification arethe major treatment options forUI. Among patients, the use ofabsorbent products is the mostcommon method of managing UI

(Baker & Norton, 1996). Althoughthe use of these products is oftenviewed negatively because it maylead to a delay in seeking tre a t-ment, many persons with urinaryincontinence rely on pro t e c t i v epadding to provide a sense ofsecurity which enables them tolead more active social lives( B i e rw i rth, 1992).

Health care pro f e s s i o n a l sshould recognize the import a n c eof using absorbent products asboth a primary and supplementaltechnique for managing UI whilet reatment is in pro g ress. As a re g-i s t e red nurse specializing in uro l o-gy at the Long Beach Ve t e r a n sAdministration Medical Center, Icome in contact with manypatients (mostly male) with uri-

n a ry incontinence. Quite a few ofthem have re s o rted to wearing dia-pers and complain that they aretoo bulky and hot. I recognized theneed for an alternative and havedeveloped a male incontinencepouch made from ALWAYS Wi t hWings®, a female sanitary napkin.Table 1 and Figures 1-6 pro v i d ed i rections for converting anA LWAYS with Wings napkin intoa male incontinence pouch.

This homemade male incon-tinence pouch provides discre e tc o m f o rt, reliable protection, anda cost-effective solution for menwho experience light to moderateu r i n a ry incontinence. It fits com-f o rtably over the penis and iseasy to use. It has two long adhe-sive strips to hold and secure the

Homemade Male IncontinenceP o u c hAvelino R. Lafrades

It is estimated that more than 13 million Americans experience incon -

tinence or loss of bl a dder contro l . As a registered nu rse specializing

in uro l o g y, the author created a male drip collector, made from a

female sanitary napkin (ALWAYS with W i n g s ® ) .This homemade male

incontinence pouch is cost effe c t i v e, c o m fo rt a ble to use, easy to

m a k e,can absorb 20 cc to 70 cc of urine, and is ava i l a ble in any store.

Avelino R. L a f r a d e s , B S , R N , i sUrology Clinic Nurse Coordinator,Ve t e rans Affairs Medical Center, LongBeach, CA.

E d i t o r ’s Note: “The Homemade MaleIncontinence Po u c h ” won first place inthe Pe a rls competition at the 1998SUNA Annual Conference in SanD i e g o, CA.

1 . Open wrapper but do not remove the sanitary napkin.

2 . S p read the sanitary napkin, including the wings, out on a firm sur-f a c e .

3 . Fold the sanitary napkin halfway; bottom up to the top level of thew i n g s .

4 . Take one of the wings and fold it inward and over the napkin wherethe adhesive strips are and press it down firm l y.

5 . Take the other wing and repeat Step 4.

6 . Remove the sanitary napkin from the wrapper. You now have a maleincontinence pouch.

Table 1.How to Use the Male Incontinence Pouch

200 UROLOGIC NURSING / September 1999 / Volume 19 Number 3

F i g u re 1.Open wrapper but do not re m o v e

s a n i t a ry napkin.

F i g u re 2.S p read the sanitary napkin, including wings,

out on a firm surf a c e .

F i g u re 5.Take the other wing and repeat Step 4.

F i g u re 6.Remove the sanitary napkin from the wrapper.

You now have a male incontinence pouch.

F i g u re 3.Fold the sanitary napkin halfway; bottom up to

top level of wings.

F i g u re 4.Take one of the wings and fold it inward and over

the napkin where the adhesive strips are andp ress it down firm l y.

UROLOGIC NURSING / September 1999 / Volume 19 Number 3 201

pouch in place in a regular brief.The waterproof backing pre v e n t sleakage and odor and it canabsorb between 20 cc to 70 cc ofurine. I recommend using thispouch after cystoscopy and diag-nostic pro c e d u res such as re t ro-grade ure t h rogram, voiding cys-t o u re t h rogram and cystogram, orafter removal of a Foley catheter.The ALWAYS with Wings napkincosts between 17 to 25 cents perpad. It is available in light, medi-um, heavy, and overnight pro t e c-tion. I recommend using heavyp rotection for light leakage, ando v e rnight protection for moder-ate leakage. It will be necessaryto use a larger absorbent pro d u c tfor heavy leakage.

It is important for nurses tobe familiar with the absorbentp roducts used for UI so that wecan offer patients guidance inchoosing the product that is bestfor them. It is also important forus to continue to use our pro b-lem-solving skills and cre a t i v i t yto develop unique ways to assistpatients in managing quality oflife problems such as urinaryi n c o n t i n e n c e .

R e f e re n c e sB a k e r, J., & Norton, P. (1996). Evaluation

of absorbent products for womenwith mild to moderate urinaryincontinence. Applied NursingR e s e a rch, 9, 2 9 - 3 3 .

B i e rw i rth, W. (1992). Which pad is foryou? U rologic Nursing, 12(2), 75-77.

Gallo, M., & Staskin, D. (1997). Patientsatisfaction with a reusable under-g a rment for urinary incontinence.J o u rnal of Wound, Ostomy andContinence Nursing, 24(4), 226-236.

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