What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the medical term for involuntary urine leakage from the bladder. There are two main types of urinary incontinence:

Stress incontinence, when urine leakage occurs due to pressure in your abdomen from actions such as jumping, laughing, sneezing or coughing

Urgency incontinence, characterised by a need to urinate so sudden and urgent that you’re unable to make it to the bathroom in time.

Many women have mixed incontinence, which is a combination of both stress and urgency incontinence subtypes. Identifying the type of urinary incontinence you have, as well as any co-existing conditions such as a pelvic organ prolapse, is vital for choosing the most effective urinary incontinence treatment.

Both men and women can experience urinary incontinence, but women are twice as likely to be affected than men. This is because certain events that are specific to women – such as pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause – can all increase the risk of incontinence. If not properly treated, urinary incontinence can cause recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), and emotional distress from anxiety, embarrassment, and depression.