Narrative
Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is a widespread condition effecting millions of women worldwide, with studies showing incidence rates ranging between 20 and 40% of all women. Sufferers report major levels of interference with their daily life’s. Estimates suggest there are 700million sufferers worldwide of incontinence and the scale of the incontinence market in the US is confirmed by a pads/female diaper market of $2.3bn and an incontinence drugs market worth $3bn.Female bladder leakage is the largest condition in female health with one in three women experiencing bladder leakage and two out of three women over 40 affected. This can be caused by many factors but can occur after childbirth and around the menopause when oestrogen levels decline.
The University of Manchester has licensed technology (Oldham) and worked with Femeda (a SME) to develop Pelviva, a single-use, disposable, tampon-style device that sends neuromuscular electrical stimulation to the pelvic floor muscles over the course of a 30minute treatment every other day (https://www.pelviva.com). It is made of a Body Responsive Foam, so adapts to any woman’s shape and is so discrete treatment can be undertaken and nobody else would know.
| Impact date | 1997 → 2020 |
|---|---|
| Category of impact | Health and wellbeing |
| Impact level | Adoption |