06/15/2026
One in five Indian women experiences urinary incontinence, yet many suffer silently for years without seeking medical help. As World Continence Week 2026 begins, specialists are urging women to recognise bladder leakage as a treatable condition rather than an inevitable part of ageing or childbirth.
World Continence Week, 2026, observed from 15 to 21 June, aims to raise awareness about continence problems and encourage timely conversations around diagnosis and treatment. The observance has also renewed conversations in India about improving awareness and access to treatment.
How Common Is Urinary Incontinence Among Indian Women?
Urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntary leakage of urine. The prevalence rate in India is reported to be between 10 and 45% depending on the population and definitions used. Hospital based cross sectional survey conducted among 3,000 Indian women revealed that 21.8% women suffered from UI, with stress incontinence contributing almost 3 quarters of total UI cases. In a community based study published in Indian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research in May 2026, prevalence rates among reproductive age group of women was 12.5%, whereas among women aged above 50 years, it was 32.1%. More importantly, while nearly half the women with UI wanted treatment, only half of those had ever actually sought help.
In clinical practice, the picture is even more striking. Dr. Keerthana Ashwin observes that in her gynecology OPD, only about one in 50 women volunteers a bladder leakage complaint without being asked directly. The rest either do not mention it, do not consider it a medical problem, or have simply adapted around it. "Women wait up to a year before bringing this up," she notes. "The barrier is not availability of care. It is the belief that this is normal."
Why Do Women in India Wait So Long to Seek Help for Bladder Leakage?
This is mainly due to.......
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[ Urinary Incontinence, World Continence week, Pelvic Floor Health, Bladder Control ]