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A condom catheter, also called a male external catheter or penile sheath, is a non-invasive device worn over the penis to collect urine.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect around 150 million people worldwide each year, but in men, they’re less common and often more complex and harder to treat. While prostate issues, aging, and catheter use are well-known male-specific risk factors, emerging research highlights another contributor: the gut microbiome.

For men with urinary incontinence who rely on a wheelchair, maintaining cleanliness isn’t just about comfort—it’s a vital part of daily health. Urine and fecal matter can easily soil the wheelchair’s surfaces, leading to unpleasant odors, rapid bacterial growth, skin irritation, and infections. Over time, this can severely impact quality of life and even lead to hospitalization. Despite this, wheelchair cleaning is often overlooked or done incorrectly.

Urinary incontinence affects millions of men, often disrupting daily life and lowering quality of life. While many factors can contribute to bladder control issues—such as age, prostate conditions, or neurological disorders—diet is often overlooked as a contributing and manageable factor. Certain foods and beverages can irritate the bladder, increase urgency, or worsen symptoms, while others may help support bladder function and reduce discomfort.

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine—meaning you leak urine even when you don’t want to. There are several types of urinary incontinence, but the most common are urge incontinence, stress incontinence, and overflow incontinence. Some people may even experience symptoms of more than one type, known as mixed incontinence.

A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the spinal cord—the nerve highway between the brain and body—is damaged, often leading to lasting problems with movement, sensation, and organ control below the injury.

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is a condition that causes sudden urges to urinate, frequent urination during the day, waking up at night to urinate (nocturia), and sometimes leakage (urge incontinence). OAB affects a large number of men—about 36% over the age of 40, according to European studies. The symptoms of OAB can worsen with age and significantly reduce quality of life by interfering with sleep, social activities, and daily routines.

Hip and knee replacements are among the most common orthopedic surgeries in aging male populations, with over 62,000 procedures performed annually in Canada alone—a number that has more than doubled in the past decade. While these surgeries significantly improve mobility and quality of life, they are not without risk. One frequently overlooked but clinically important complication is postoperative urinary retention (POUR), particularly in male patients. In a large study of over 1,000 patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty, the 24-hour incidence of POUR reached 43.3%, with male sex increasing the risk nearly fourfold. Factors such as spinal anesthesia and intrathecal morphine further contribute to this elevated risk. 

Intertrigo is a localized inflammatory condition that develops within skin folds due to friction, moisture, and body fluid exposure, including sweat and urine. In men, urinary incontinence (UI)—often associated with aging, prostate conditions, and immobility—compounds this risk by creating a persistently moist environment that promotes skin maceration and breakdown. Once skin integrity is compromised, there is an elevated risk of secondary infections, pain, and diminished quality of life.

Scrotal edema and urinary incontinence are two medical conditions that may seem unrelated at first, but in some cases, they can occur together and signal more serious underlying health issues.