In May 2019 researchers from Korea published the results of their study to assess the effects of friction underwear for elderly individuals with overactive bladder. Friction underwear had been developed by adding small silicon dots to the front of the underwear which decreased the time it took to pull down underwear in elderly patients with urge incontinence. A total of 56 male individuals, aged over 60 years, were included in the study. The individuals were divided into two groups with the first group wearing the friction underwear first and the non-friction underwear second whilst the second group wore the non-friction underwear first and the friction underwear second. The time taken to pull down the underwear was then assessed. Results showed that the time taken to pull down the friction underwear was significantly shorter than for the non-friction underwear. The researchers concluded that friction underwear may be an effective way of preventing underwear from getting wet for individuals who suffer from overactive bladder/urge incontinence.
You JH et al. Friction underwear for ease of pulling down in elderly patients with overactive bladder: A prospective randomized control trial. Investig Clin Urol. 2019 May;60(3):216-221