Last updated: 02/17/2009

Urinary incontinence (UI) plagues 10–35% of adults and at least half of the million nursing home residents in the United States. Other studies indicate that between 10% and 30% of women experience incontinence during their lifetimes, compared to...

about 5% of men. One reason that more women than men have incontinent episodes is the relatively shorter urethras of women. Women have urethras of about 2 in (5 cm) and men have urethras of 10 in (25.4 cm). Studies have documented that about 50% of all women have occasional urinary incontinence, and as many as 10% have regular incontinence. Nearly 20% of women over age 75 experience daily urinary incontinence. Incontinence is a major factor in individuals entering long term care facilities. Women at highest risk are those who have given birth to more than three children and women who were given oxytocin to induce labor. Oxytocin puts more pressure on the pelvic muscles than does ordinary labor. Women who smoke have twice the rate of incontinence, according to one study of 600 women. Those women who do high-impact exercises are at much higher risk for incontinence. According to the medical literature, those at highest risk for urinary leakage are gymnasts, followed by softball, volleyball, and basketball players. Finally, women who have diabetes or are obese have higher rates of incontinence. Women who require sling procedures have often had other surgeries for incontinence, necessitating sling procedure to treat intrinsic sphincter deficiency caused by operative trauma. A rarer cause of stress incontinence in older women is urethral instability. In men, stress incontinence is usually caused by sphincter damage after surgery on the prostate.