Urinary Incontinence

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Urinary Incontinence

Question:

Is it possible to leek urine during sexual intercourse?

Answer:

The uncontrolled leakage of urine is called urinary incontinence. It is very common in women. It may happen during different activities, including intercourse.

Incontinence can be treated if it happens often enough to be a problem. (The vagina also secretes a little fluid during sexual arousal. This is sometimes mistaken for urine.)

The two most common types of urine incontinence are:

Stress incontinence

This happens when physical pressure is applied to the bladder. The sphincter muscle, which normal keeps the bladder closed, fails to hold the urine under this stress. The muscle is often weakened from childbirth, age, and other factors.

Treatments include:

• Pelvic floor exercises (Kegel exercises) to strengthen the muscle

• A ring shaped support called a pessary worn in the vagina

• Surgery to support the muscle

Overactive bladder syndrome (also called urge incontinence)

This happens due to a miscommunication between the brain and the bladder. The bladder empties as a reflex and without the brain's "permission." A baby's bladder empties this way, but during toilet training, the child's brain learns to control the reflex.

Treatments include:

• Retraining the bladder with behavior modification

• Medicines that help to quiet the bladder reflex

Both types can happen during intercourse. A doctor need to make a full evaluation diagnose the type and guide treatment.

Joan Bengtson, M.D., is assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproduction at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009