How do urinary incontinence types affect sexual function and quality of life for Turkish women?

Abstract

Urinary incontinence (UI) subtypes may have some effects on sexual function because of diverse pathophysiological mechanisms. The objective of our study is to compare UI subtypes' effects on women's sexual function and quality of life (QoL). In this descriptive and comparative study, a total of 239 women with UI were included (89 with stress urinary incontinence [SUI], 65 with urge urinary incontinence [UUI], and 85 with mixed urinary incontinence [MUI]). Sexual function was assessed with the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12), and QoL was assessed with the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7). In our study, the mean total PISQ-12 score for the UI subtypes was 29.49 ± 6.38 for SUI, 31.43 ± 5.46 for UUI, and 23.12 ± 5.54 for MUI. Women with MUI had significantly more sexual dysfunctions than the other groups (P < .001). The mean total IIQ-7 score according to UI subtypes was 60.61 ± 31.49 for SUI, 64.40 ± 28.20 for UUI, and 70.51 ± 25.09 for MUI. As regards the scores of the IIQ-7, UI had a negative impact on QoL for women of all groups, especially for women with MUI and UUI, but was not significantly different between the groups (P > .05). The sexual function of women with MUI was affected more adversely than the other UI subtypes. There was no statistically significant difference between the UI subtypes according to IIQ-7 scores, but when we examined the scores, MUI and UUI were found to have more negative effects on QoL. Clinicians and continence nurses should make routine evaluations of sexual function and QoL for women according to UI subtypes.