Strategies for Coping with Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women

Urinary incontinence during intercourse occurs in 10-56% of women suffering from urinary incontinence. Many strategies are used to cope with this problem. We investigated the impact of urinary incontinence during intercourse on the sexual life of 186 women suffering from stress urinary incontinence. Urinary leakage during sexual intercourse was reported by 140 women (75.27%). Changes in sexual function were grouped into four types of coping strategies based on the severity of restrictions on sexual life. We compared the coping styles used by women who limit sexual activity because of urinary leakage alone (GM), and women limiting activity for other reasons (IP). Urinary leakage was significantly less often (p<0.01) the reason for limitation of sexual life (complete or significant re stric tion) than other factors. If urinary leakage during intercourse was the only reason for significant limitation of sexual activity, the women used less restrictive strategies and seemed to care more about their partners’ sexual satisfaction, compared to the other group. 18 women (12.86%) suffering from urinary leakage during intercourse reported no change in overall sexual functioning. Women for whom urinary incontinence during sex was the only cause of changes in sexual functioning were more likely to make an extra effort to satisfy their partners sexually than women for whom urinary incontinence was one of many causes of sexual dysfunction. In women with urinary incontinence, it was more probable that changes in sexual functioning have been brought on by factors other than urinary incontinence.