Urology Awareness Month 2025

Every September, Urology Awareness Month shines a light on conditions that affect millions of people but too often remain in the shadows due to stigma, embarrassment, or lack of awareness. In 2025, the campaign, led by The Urology Foundation, focuses on bladder leakage under the theme “Bladder Leakage: Time to Act.”

In this blog,  Anna Nova Galeon explores why urological conditions matter, the impact they have on individuals and communities, and what highly regulated organisations, such as healthcare, social care, and education providers, can do to address stigma, empower people, and embed best practices that meet compliance standards.

What is urology?

Urology is a branch of medicine dealing with the urinary tract in men and women, as well as the male reproductive system. It includes:

• Kidneys - Filtering waste and regulating fluids

• Bladder - Storing and releasing urine

• Ureters and urethra - Transporting urine from the kidneys to the bladder and out of the body

• Prostate, testes, and male reproductive organs - Regulating male fertility and sexual health.

When this system doesn’t function properly, it can lead to conditions ranging from discomfort and lifestyle challenges to life-threatening diseases.

Common urological conditions

Urological problems are more widespread than many assume. Some of the most common include:

1. Bladder leakage (Incontinence)

Around 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 people overall experience bladder leakage. It can affect anyone at any age, though prevalence increases with age and childbirth.

2. Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

These are especially common among women, causing pain, frequent urination, and sometimes severe complications if untreated.

3. Kidney stones

These painful mineral deposits affect thousands each year and can lead to emergency admissions if not appropriately managed.

4. Prostate conditions

Prostate enlargement and prostate cancer are common in men over 50. Prostate cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men.

5. Bladder and kidney cancers

Though less common, these cancers require early diagnosis for the best outcomes.

6. Erectile dysfunction and fertility issues

It is often linked with wider health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or hormonal imbalance.

Why awareness matters in 2025

This year’s focus on bladder leakage highlights how easily stigmatised issues can be ignored - despite affecting millions. Left unaddressed, urological conditions can lead to:

• Physical health risks - Such as infections, kidney damage, or complications from untreated cancers

• Emotional and social impacts - Including isolation, embarrassment, and reduced quality of life

• Economic costs - Rising healthcare pressures, absenteeism, and costs to social care services.

Awareness campaigns such as Urology Awareness Month empower people to seek help sooner, reduce stigma, and encourage organisations to integrate proactive responses into care, safeguarding, and workplace practices.

The 2025 theme - “Bladder Leakage: Time to Act”

The Urology Foundation’s theme this year underscores the urgent need to normalise conversations around incontinence. With millions in the UK affected, the campaign is pushing for:

• Increased public awareness to ensure those affected seek advice rather than suffer in silence

• Policy and healthcare system changes to improve access to treatments and support

• Community engagement through roadshows, webinars, and lived-experience storytelling.

For regulated organisations, this presents an opportunity to update policies, train staff, and ensure that practices reflect the real challenges faced by service users and employees on a daily basis.

Implications for regulated organisations

Raising awareness of urological health is not just a medical matter - it carries direct implications for compliance, safeguarding, and workplace culture. For highly regulated sectors, from frontline healthcare to education and beyond, addressing these conditions with sensitivity and structure is essential. Below are four key areas where awareness must translate into practice:

1. Healthcare providers

• Regulatory standards - Meeting CQC requirements for safe, effective, and person-centred care includes addressing urological health openly

• Patient trust - Proactively discussing conditions like bladder leakage breaks stigma and builds patient confidence

• Early detection - Staff training in recognising signs leads to earlier interventions and improved outcomes.

2. Social care services

• Dignity in care - Incontinence is a frequent issue in residential and domiciliary care. Staff must balance practical management with preserving dignity

• Safeguarding duties - Ignoring or mishandling urological needs risks neglect or harm, breaching safeguarding regulations

• Quality ratings - CQC and local authority inspections often look at how well providers support residents with continence issues.

3. Education providers

• Supporting students - Young people can experience urological conditions such as recurrent UTIs or testicular cancer. Schools and colleges must provide safe spaces and signposting support

• Safeguarding frameworks - Awareness aligns with statutory safeguarding duties, ensuring health issues are not overlooked in academic settings.

4. Workplaces beyond care and education

• Inclusion and equality - Employers must ensure that staff experiencing incontinence or related conditions are not disadvantaged

• Health and safety compliance - Allowing flexible access to facilities and making adjustments reflects compliance with workplace standards

• Well-being at work - Supporting staff health reduces absenteeism and builds inclusive workplace cultures.

Practical steps for organisations

To turn awareness into meaningful action, regulated organisations should:

1. Integrate awareness into training

Ensure staff are trained to understand urological health, recognise symptoms, and provide compassionate support.

2. Review policies and procedures

Update care protocols, safeguarding frameworks, or workplace health policies to include urological considerations.

3. Promote healthy practices

Encourage hydration, physical activity, and open discussion as part of wellbeing initiatives.

4. Support screening and signposting

Direct service users, students, or employees to relevant health services, particularly for prostate checks or recurrent bladder issues.

5. Collaborate with campaigns

Share resources and awareness materials from The Urology Foundation and other charities during September to foster community engagement.

Building a culture of compassion and compliance

At its core, Urology Awareness Month is about breaking the silence and building dignity. Organisations in regulated sectors are not only legally obliged but morally responsible for fostering cultures where health issues are acknowledged without stigma.

By embedding awareness into everyday practice, organisations move beyond compliance - they demonstrate leadership, compassion, and commitment to holistic wellbeing.

Conclusion - Awareness is action

Urology Awareness Month 2025 reminds us that conditions like bladder leakage are not niche or rare - they affect millions. By confronting stigma, promoting early intervention, and embedding supportive practices, organisations can make a tangible difference.

Awareness is the first step; action is the outcome that transforms lives. For organisations in healthcare, social care, and education, this September is the moment to lead with both compassion and compliance - ensuring dignity, safety, and wellbeing remain at the heart of everything they do.

Stay informed and turn awareness into action

Urology Awareness Month 2025 highlights how awareness can transform lives - by breaking stigma, encouraging early intervention, and embedding dignity into care. For regulated organisations, awareness is not just about information - it’s about integrating knowledge into daily practice, policies, and compliance systems.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we support this mission by sharing insights into health and social awareness campaigns all year round. With ComplyPlus™, our all-in-one compliance and training platform, we help organisations move beyond awareness - providing the structure, evidence, and assurance needed to stay inspection-ready while delivering compassionate, person-centred care.