What is Incontinence?

There are 2 main types of incontinence. The first is known as urinary incontinence which is any unintentional loss of urine, be it involuntary or accidental, from the bladder. The second type is known as bowel incontinence or fecal incontinence which is the unintentional loss of stool (feces) or gas (flatus).

Incontinence is a widespread condition that ranges in severity from 'just a small leak' to complete loss of bladder or bowel control. In fact, incontinence in Canada is about the same as in the United States – about 10% of the population. That means approximately 3.5 million Canadians experience some form of incontinence and approximately 200 million people worldwide have bladder or bowel control problems for a variety of reasons. Incontinence can be treated and managed. In many cases it can also be cured.

Sources:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5991520_Urinary_Incontinence_as_a_worldwide_problem

https://www.canadiancontinence.ca/pdfs/en-incontinence-a-canadian-perspective-2014.pdf