[Sexuality and urinary incontinence]

In an attempt to investigate correlations between sexuality and urinary incontinence (UI), fifty-one women with stress incontinence (18), urge incontinence (12), or combined stress/urge incontinence (21) were interviewed on their sexual behaviours, prior to and after development of UI. The results were compared with data on the average female population in the GDR. Women with subsequent UI were found to have perceived cohabitarche as extremely beautiful or disgusting or anorgastic with significantly higher frequency, as compared to the general female population. The average number of sexual partners and frequency of cohabitations had been higher with women in whom UI was to develop later on. Their sexual behaviours did not come closer to those of the general female population until UI was growing manifest. While marital problems were quoted as causes of UI by 39 per cent of the interviewers, only 14 per cent gave a negative assessment of their present partnerships. Reduced sexual relationships were often (47 per cent) offset by vicarious sexual activities. These women were more often than others suspected of trying to find a pretext for evading sexual intercourse on grounds of marital problems. Yet, one third of women with UI said that during orgasm they would strongly press downward, which might result in additional strain on the pelvic floor. In other words, sexual disorders and UI appeared to favour each other. Hence, psychosomatic and sexological investigations on interhuman relations should be adopted as part of comprehensive therapeutic planning to cope with urinary incontinence.