Urinary leakage during sexual activity can be embarrassing and frustrating. You can minimize the problem with immediate solutions, such as protective products, and make changes to your lifestyle, like emptying your bladder before sex and avoiding dietary bladder irritants, at the suggestion of a healthcare professional.
A urogynecologist, pelvic floor physical therapist, or women’s health nurse advisor can recommend Kegel exercises and other pelvic floor strengthening techniques.
Urethral trauma
Minor urethral trauma can occur from sex or straddle injuries (falling hard on something between your legs, such as a bicycle seat or crossbar, a fence or playground equipment). The most common sign of this is a drop of blood at the end of the penis or in the urine. If you have this, talk to your doctor. He or she may do a few tests, such as a cystoscope or bladder ultrasound and a test to see how full your bladder is. They may also ask you to keep a diary of when you urinate and leak.
Other causes of urinary incontinence include age, being overweight, and some diseases, such as diabetes and spinal cord injury. Urge incontinence is more common in women because of the strain pregnancy, childbirth and menopause put on the pelvic floor muscles. It can also be caused by medications, such as sex hormones, or lifestyle factors like smoking.
Mixed incontinence is when you have both stress and urge incontinence. It occurs when you’re exercising, coughing, sneezing or laughing and your body’s pressure on the bladder increases. You can also have this type of incontinence if you’re on certain medicines, such as alpha-blockers, or if you have arthritis or other health problems that make it difficult to get to the bathroom quickly.
Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections can irritate the bladder and cause incontinence. If you have a UTI, you may leak urine during or after sex. A UTI is a common condition that can be treated with antibiotics. If you suspect you have a urinary tract infection, see your doctor right away. Your doctor will check your symptoms and ask you to clean the genital area with disposable wipes and pee into a sterile urine specimen cup.
Women who experience urinary incontinence during sex may not be able to enjoy sexual activities as much as they would like. They may also feel embarrassed and less confident about their bodies. These feelings can lead to lower self-esteem, which can affect personal and professional life.
To reduce urinary incontinence during sex, try avoiding sexual positions that put pressure on the bladder and urethra. Practice double-voiding before sex by going to the bathroom first and then waiting a few minutes to empty your bladder. Also, use a water-based lubricant to reduce friction on the urethra and bladder. Finally, do Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
Many types of incontinence develop or worsen as a result of certain conditions or lifestyle factors. These include: Excess body weight: Overweight women are more likely to experience stress incontinence; excess abdominal weight can put pressure on the bladder and urethra; gynecologic conditions: Some surgical procedures, including hysterectomies, can impact how well your pelvic muscles work; age: Men over 40 are more likely to have urge incontinence; and dietary irritants: Avoiding foods or drinks that can irritate the bladder, such as coffee, can help.
Stress incontinence
Urge incontinence occurs when your bladder muscle is unable to hold back urine. There are usually only a few seconds between when you feel the urge to pass urine and when it actually happens. This is a common cause of urinary leakage during sex, especially when you’re reaching orgasm. This type of incontinence is also triggered by sudden pressure, such as when you cough, laugh, lift something, or exercise.
Many people with urinary incontinence avoid talking about it with their partner or doctors because of the stigma associated with it. However, hiding the condition can lead to other problems, such as rashes, sores, urinary tract infections, and even depression. In addition, urinary incontinence can also lead to a decline in sexual satisfaction, which isn’t good for your emotional or physical health.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help alleviate your urinary incontinence symptoms during sex. One thing is to practice double voiding before you have sex. This means going to the bathroom before you have sex, and then again a few minutes later. Another tip is to try new positions during sex, which may put less stress on the bladder muscles and make leakage less likely. Finally, regularly doing pelvic floor exercises can strengthen these muscles and lead to stronger orgasms, which can also make sex more enjoyable.
Mixed incontinence
If you leak urine or feel the urge to urinate during sex, you may have mixed urinary incontinence. This type of incontinence is caused by both stress and pressure on the bladder. You will most likely have to empty your bladder before sex, and the leaking fluid could be urine or vaginal discharge (called female ejaculate).
The cause of the incontinence can vary, but some of the risk factors include:
Women with high body weight are at greater risk because excess weight increases pressure on the pelvic organs; hysterectomy can affect the function of the bladder and urethra, leading to urinary incontinence; and men who smoke are more susceptible to developing a bladder infection. In addition, urinary incontinence is also linked with certain medications and illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and depression.
If you are experiencing sex-related urinary incontinence, talk to your doctor and pelvic health specialist. They can help you determine the cause and find a plan to prevent incontinence before, during and after sex. Some of the lifestyle changes you can make include exercising your pelvic floor muscles, such as Kegels, which will strengthen them over time and decrease leakage. You can also drink plenty of water to keep your bladder full, and avoid consuming any foods or drinks that act as bladder irritants, such as coffee and alcohol.