Money spent on products rather than medical treatment for incontinence
Australians are spending billions of dollars on incontinence products, as they shy away from seeking medical help for the embarrassing but often treatable problem.
Research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), shows Australians spent $1.5 billion on pads and other incontinence products in 2003, despite most cases being curable.
With an ageing population and increasing obesity, spending is forecast to grow to $4.5 billion in 2031.
An estimated 4,000,000 Australians suffer from incontinence, but research showed that up to 60% of women did not seek medical help.
In 2001, a study showed that women outside nursing homes spent $710 million on incontinence products.
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