Great Britain: Unisex trousers squeeze police officers’ testicles

Police officers in the UK are having problems with their uniforms: “A small internal survey conducted by the Gwent Police Federation in Wales last year reported for the first time medical problems associated with police trousers,” said Belinda Goodwin of the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Male police officers complained of uncomfortable bruising of their testicles, while women reported fungal infections, known as candidiasis or thrush. As a result, the University of Lancaster conducted a nationwide study on police uniforms and equipment, which has now been completed.

The researchers state that “evidence of poor uniform design is widespread across a range of emergency services professions.” Goodwin confirmed: “We have been aware of these issues related to unisex uniforms for a number of years.” She believes that the decision to introduce uniform unisex uniforms for male and female officers was an “old-fashioned” cost-saving measure and not a “woke” decision.

“It's easy to feel like no one has considered that women are a different shape and size to men,” she said. The trousers don't come in standard sizes – and they're problematic for both men and women because they're too short from the waist to the crotch, the BBC reports. “They just don't fit properly,” Goodwin said. “There's really no value in investing in the uniform.”

“When I put on my uniform, it represents who I am. It shows the public what I stand for.” Goodwin also pointed to the mental health benefits of wearing a well-fitting uniform, believing it has an impact on morale. “It's about feeling valued in your work,” she said. “It has a huge impact on physical wellbeing, but also mental wellbeing.”