Coital Incontinence: A Multicentre Study Evaluating Prevalence and Associations

Area of Science:

• Urogynecology
• Pelvic Floor Disorders
• Sexual Health

Background:

• Coital incontinence (CI) is a prevalent condition impacting women's quality of life and sexual function.
• Understanding the relationship between CI and other lower urinary tract symptoms is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between overactive bladder (OAB), stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and specific types of CI, including orgasm and penetration incontinence.
• To quantify the prevalence of CI among women with urinary incontinence.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre study involving Urogynaecology outpatients from seven UK hospitals.
• Data collected via the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire-Pelvic Floor patient-reported outcome measure (April 2018-January 2022).
• Statistical analysis using Spearman's rank-order correlation to assess associations.

Main Results:

• Out of 4,843 valid responses, 41.6% of women reported CI.
• The vast majority (96.8%) of women with CI had mixed OAB and SUI.
• Significant correlations were found between CI symptom scores and both SUI (R=0.57) and OAB (R=0.40), as well as for orgasm and penetration incontinence subtypes.

Conclusions:

• Coital incontinence is common, affecting a substantial proportion of women with urinary incontinence.
• A significant association exists between SUI, OAB, and CI, suggesting common underlying mechanisms.
• Study limitations include missing data and the specific patient population, necessitating cautious interpretation.