Urinary incontinence affects about 20% of women of all ages. Its frequency and severity increase over time. But according to French researchers from Inserm of the CHU de Poitiers, this embarrassing and disabling disorder still remains a taboo. The proof: only one in four women dares to go for a consultation. In a study published by the journal NeuroUrology and Urodynamics, scientists draw a portrait of women who could be the target of awareness-raising operations in order to encourage them to seek treatment.
Of the 2,640 participants in the study, aged 50 to 62, 1,192 reported being incontinent when responding to a detailed questionnaire in 2000. Eight years later, 86% of them responded to questions about breast cancer. management of this disorder. Conclusion: only 24.4% of women replied that they had consulted a doctor at least once. On the other hand, certain factors such as severe incontinence, age, neurological diseases, the lack of support or the fact of talking about it to those around them can help patients to break the taboo and seek treatment.
The researchers therefore succeeded in identifying the priority targets for possible awareness campaigns: rather young women, in good health and suffering from mild or moderate incontinence. Because there are solutions to this tedious and embarrassing disorder. “The management will depend on the discomfort caused by this incontinence”, explains the French urology association, “a perineal rehabilitation may be offered as the first line, with the need to perform several sessions. Surgical management is the alternative to rehabilitation, in the event of failure, contraindication or refusal of the patient. ” Other solutions, such as peri-urethral injections or peri-urethral balloons, may be considered in some cases.
