12 Myths and Facts About Incontinence

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The truth about bladder control

By Amanda MacMillan

Urinary incontinence affects about 25 million Americans, but it is rarely talked about.

"Bladder is a word that people used to not even say; they'd laugh when it came out of their mouths," says Nancy Muller, PhD, executive director of the National Association for Continence (NAFC). In recent years, people's responses have improved—slightly.

Instead of waiting 10 years, women now wait about six and a half years to talk to their doctor, Muller says. That's still a long time to live with symptoms. Here, we set the record straight regarding common assumptions about incontinence.

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