Why do so many women experience urinary incontinence?

Many reasons: There are several types of urinary incontinence. Every patient has different combination of symptoms. Usual causes are childbirth, pregnancy, heavy lifting, previous surgery and idiopathic. Urinary incontinence occurs in one out of three women over the age of 60 - clearly a very common problem.

Whatever do you mean: The real answer to your question is twofold. The female urethra is only 2 inches long & the urethral sphincter is on the wispy side, as sphincters go. When it doesn't work pefectly, stress incontinence, leakage occurring with physical exertion like cough, sneeze, etc occurs. When the bladder itself decides to empty without permission, urge incontinence (overactive bladder) occurs.

Relative to Men, Yes: Urinary leakage in women results from weakened pelvic muscles, poor urethra closure or overactive bladder. The first two are stress type leakage (straining results in a spurt of urine); the last is overactive bladder(oab) squeezing. Aging, childbirth, pelvic surgery and trauma can cause stress or oab leakage; men's prostates usually help them not leak, but often result in retention (can't go pee).

Kids & hormones: Our (women's) pelvis is built with large opening in the bone to let us birth a child. That opening, at the bottom of our body & supporting all our weight) allows gravity to pull and strain support for bladder. Carrying a pregnancy & birthing a child can damage support for bladder control. But even overactive bladder is more common & worsens after menopause. Estrogen affects bladder function.