Male toilets In Hampshire County Council’s premises, including Country Parks and libraries, will have sanitary bins added to cubicles, in support of Prostate Cancer UK’s ‘Boys Need Bins’ campaign. This comes as the County Council confirmed it will install over 200 sanitary bins in male toilets across its buildings used by the public and staff.

Councillor Russell Oppenheimer said: “I’m pleased to confirm that County Council buildings will now provide facilities for men to safely, and hygienically, dispose of incontinence products and other sanitary items. One in eight men will get prostate cancer, and some will experience urinary and bowel problems as a side effect of their treatment. As the Boys need Bins campaign has highlighted, it is important to tackle the taboos surrounding this issue and to understand the huge difference that small practical changes can make. By providing sanitary bins in male toilets, we can offer people dignity in managing with what has been an invisible, yet potentially embarrassing, problem. I know some organisations in Hampshire are already taking similar steps, and I urge others to consider doing the same so we can collectively drive positive change.”

The County Council will add sanitary bins to the male toilets in its five Country Parks, libraries, outdoor centres, and office buildings used by staff. There are already bins in place in male toilets at several County Council visitor attractions including Manor Farm, Staunton Farm and Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey.

On 28 September last year the County Council gave its backing to a motion calling to raise awareness of prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men, which included backing for a change in the law so that men are given access to sanitary bins in toilets. As many as 69% of those treated with surgery for prostate cancer may experience urinary incontinence as a result and may need to use pads, pouches, stomas, catheters, colostomy or ileostomy bags. One in eight men will be diagnosed, rising to one in four for Black men.