Determination of the awareness level of the women over 20 years old who attended to GMMA Gynecology Outpatient Clinics in terms of urinary incontinence

This cross-sectional study was planned to identify urinary incontinence symptoms and awareness level of women over 20 who had had birth experience, and attended to GMMA Gynecology Outpatient Clinics for any problems. The study was performed on 229 patients suitable for the study criteria and intended to attend the study between November 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005. The data were obtained by face to face interviews with the patients. The mean age of patients was 38.55±11.04, and urinary incontinence symptoms were determined in 37.11% of the patients. Among a total of 85 patients, stress type (40%), mixed type (%36.47), urge type (%15.29) and the other types (overflow, continuous urinary incontinence, etc) (%8.23) were the most common types of urinary incontinence. In conclusion 56.5% of the patients did not feel urinary incontinence as a health problem, 80.0% of them had never admitted to a health institution for urinary incontinence and 85.9% of them had never got any necessary treatment for urinary incontinence although they lived with the symptoms of urinary incontinence for 13 to 96 months (1 to 8 years).