Ambulance 912HAP 9252
Back to all symptoms and conditions
General health information

Urinary incontinence in women

Involuntary urine leakage in women is common and usually treatable. Leakage with coughing or sport is called stress incontinence; sudden strong urgency suggests urge incontinence. Blood, fever, pain or inability to urinate needs assessment.

In this article
Choose which sections to read

Involuntary urine leakage in women is common and usually treatable. Leakage with coughing or sport is called stress incontinence; sudden strong urgency suggests urge incontinence. Blood, fever, pain or inability to urinate needs assessment.

  • Urine leakage with coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, running or jumping.
  • Sudden strong urgency and not reaching the toilet in time.
  • Keep an accurate bladder diary for three days before substantially changing your fluid intake.
  • Drink enough, spread throughout the day; drinking too little concentrates urine and may increase urgency.
  • Make an appointment if urine leakage affects your daily life or has newly developed.
  • For urgent GP care outside office hours, call HAP 9252. Call Ambulance 912 only for an immediate threat to life.

Your response

Two anonymous questions

Did you find what you were looking for?

Do you now have a clearer idea of your next step?

Share article

Email

Do you need a healthcare provider after reading?

Search by type of care, organisation, name or district.

Further reading

Browse A–Z
O
Overactive bladderAn overactive bladder causes sudden strong urgency, frequent urination and sometimes urine leakage, without an infection or another clear cause fully explaining this. Bladder training and pelvic floor support are often the first treatment.
B
Bladder infection in womenBladder infections are common in women because the urethra is shorter. Burning, frequent urges and pressure in the lower abdomen are typical; pregnancy, fever, back pain or blood needs earlier assessment.
C
Coughing up bloodBlood in coughed-up mucus needs assessment. A few small streaks or spots need urgent medical advice; more blood, or blood with chest pain or breathlessness, is an emergency.