Incontinence and Your Sex Life

Is your incontinence interfering with your sex life? 

Incontinence can take a toll on emotional and physical well being. One area that it often impacts, and is not often talked about, is how incontinence impacts sex. An overactive bladder can have a very negative impact on physical intimacy. However, how severe the impact depends on the type of incontinence the individual suffers from.

The effect is worst for those with those stress incontinence. Individuals with stress incontinence may find that they leak during intercourse. For women it often happens during penetration, and for men it can happen during ejaculation. Why does this happen? During sex, the bladder often gets moved about, and it might also experience extra pressure. This can lead to leaks and discomfort.

Discomfort and embarrassment during intercourse is going to get in the way of an intimate relationship. It is not surprising if the individual is left feeling unattractive an undesirable. It can be embarrassing to urinate during sex, and may lead to individuals isolating themselves, and avoiding intimacy.

An overactive bladder muscle can also make you leak during orgasm, which can make both sex and masturbation less enjoyable because it becomes stressful. It is hard to enjoy intimacy if you fear your bladder problems getting in the way. What can you do? If your incontinence is interfering with your sex life, it is time to do something about it. Here are a few options to consider:

1. Don’t ignore it. Talk to your partner and your doctor before incontinence issues disrupt your sex life, or as soon as possible if they already are. You don’t want incontinence to impact your relationship any further. Your doctor can help you seek a treatment option, and give you advice for how to manage your symptoms. They may ask you to keep a voiding diary so that they can get a better feel for the cause and frequency of your condition. Our printable voiding diary can help you and your doctor get a clear picture of your incontinence, and also your needed absorbency for products to help manage your day-to-day incontinence.

2. Get a handle on your symptoms. There are many options for managing symptoms. The first is to use absorbent products. While this will not help during sex, it will help in other areas of your life, from work, to social outings. Consumers buying incontinence products the first time can easily be confused which product, brand, style, size or absorbency to purchase. And once the package is opened, they can’t be returned, so mistakes can be costly. In order to avoid making this costly mistake, try samples before buying cases. Samples can be purchased in sets of 4 for just $3.49. Call 800-985-1353 M-F 9-4 CST to talk to one of our product specialists. Next, adjust diet. There are some foods and drinks that can be bladder triggers, causing irritation, and leading to more frequent and more urgent voiding needs. Caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugar rank at the top of the list, acidic foods such as pineapple and citrus are also on that list. Avoid or reduce your consumption. And get in shape, losing weight, and exercise are both shown to reduce incontinence symptoms.

3. Do Kegel exercises. Next, strengthen the pelvic floor. This will help to reduce leaking due to stress. You can ask your doctor about biofeedback in order to help you target the right muscles. Women may also consider doing Kegels while using vaginal weights. No matter which route you choose, try to do 3 sets of 10 each day. 

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visithttp://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.