Living With Urinary Incontinence: Women's Experiences in a Qualitative Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a prevalent health issue that shapes emotional and social experiences, influencing women's everyday lives in subtle and pervasive ways. This study aims to explore how women living with UI make sense of their embodied experience, emotions, and daily ways of coping and engaging with care. This qualitative research, conducted as a phenomenological case study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), involved 15 purposively sampled women (mean age 56) attending an outpatient pelvic floor rehabilitation clinic in Northern Italy. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire—Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF). The analysis revealed five core themes: ‘A changed body, a changed woman’, ‘Existence within boundaries’, ‘Face to face with the problem’, ‘Knocking at services' doors’ and ‘Inside the emotional landscape’. Factors identified as significant to the UI experience include childbirth, aging, and body image. While women often initially normalised the condition as an inevitable consequence of motherhood or aging, the study highlights a profound emotional burden characterised by shame, anxiety, and a sense of ‘symbolic mutilation’. The findings distinguish between passive resignation and active normalisation, where recognising UI as a shared difficulty becomes a lever for seeking care. Ultimately, women's experiences revealed a complex condition deeply connected to identity, requiring empathetic, individualised, and multidisciplinary care pathways to break the silence and improve quality of life.

Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT06421428