Kleenex is using its toilet paper packaging to promote bowel cancer awareness through a nationwide campaign with Bowel Cancer Australia, encouraging Australians to “check your poo”.
The packaging carries the reminder alongside a dedicated support hub, poocheck.com.au, aimed at raising awareness of bowel cancer symptoms.
The campaign aligns with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and comes as research conducted by Kleenex finds many Australians avoid discussing bowel habits. According to the research, 62 per cent of Australians talk about going to the toilet in the form of a joke, while 57 per cent say they are too embarrassed to use the toilet at someone else’s house. Nearly one in three (29 per cent) say they feel uncomfortable talking about going to the toilet altogether.
Despite this, 81 per cent agree that going to the toilet should not be taboo.
Kleenex says the stigma contributes to a lack of awareness of bowel cancer symptoms, in what it describes as the country with the highest rates of early onset bowel cancer in the world.
Pamela Wyatt, head of growth at Kimberly-Clark, said the campaign places reminders “into one of the most everyday spaces, the bathroom”.
“We hope to break down the embarrassment that often prevents people from checking their poo, recognising symptoms, and having open conversations about their bowel habits,” Wyatt said.
Julien Wiggins, CEO at Bowel Cancer Australia, said the disease is the deadliest cancer for people aged 25–54. “Knowing the red flag signs and symptoms and having them promptly investigated is important to rule out bowel cancer as an underlying cause,” Wiggins said.
“We encourage Aussies to overcome the poo taboo, as almost 99 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated when detected early.”
The ‘Check your poo’ packaging is now on shelves nationwide.
