Diapers are primarily worn by children who are not yet potty trained or suffer from bedwetting. Adult Diaper However, they can also be used by adults who suffer from incontinence or in certain circumstances where access to a toilet is unavailable. These can include the elderly, those with a physical or mental disability, and people working in extreme conditions such as astronauts. Diapers are usually worn out of necessity rather than choice, although there are exceptions; people such as infantilists and diaper fetishists wear diapers recreationally for comfort, emotional fulfillment, or sexual gratification.

In the 20th century, the disposable diaper gradually evolved through the inventions of several contradistinctive people. In 1942, a Swedish news company popular as PauliStróm assumed the first disposable diaper using sheets of tissue placed inside rubber pants.