Dear Dr. Ruth,
I’m so embarrassed! It’s gotten to the point where I am having accidents multiple times a day. I’m constantly having to change my pants. Just last week a friend invited me to brunch and I turned her down because I didn’t want to have to deal with leaking while I was out. I was too mortified to tell her the real reason, so I just made something up. I feel like I’m the only woman in the world dealing with this. Tell the truth, am I?
Help!
Leaking in Louisville
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Dear Lots of Leaking in Louisville,
You are not alone! Let’s pee honest, one in three women leak—a fact that is simply unacceptable to me.
Beyond this, research shows that only 25 percent of women will even speak to their physician about incontinence. How terrible!
Having worked in women’s health for decades, I’ve listened to a lot of sad stories from patients over the years. Many of the women I’ve worked with were dealing with this condition for 10, 15, even 20 years.
It was clear they had exhausted all efforts. But they didn’t want to have to undergo surgery to attempt to fix it. As a result, many of these patients started to live very small lives. They stopped doing things they enjoyed—like exercise, running after their kids and, yes, having brunch with girlfriends.
It’s not uncommon for women dealing with stress urinary incontinence to leak during intercourse, too. In fact, 63 percent of women will experience this exact issue during sex. That can be tough on your self-esteem and your relationship.
All of this is to say, you are not alone. I know many women will use pads or liners to deal with leakage. I firmly believe that’s just masking the symptoms and, frankly, it’s insulting to offer that up as the only solution.
I just knew there was another way to deal with SUI, which is how INNOVO was born. It’s a non-invasive device that delivers 180 perfect Kegels per session and strengthens your pelvic floor all from the comfort of your own home. It’s also super simple to use—what’s easier than putting on a pair of shorts? Try INNOVO for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and I promise you’ll notice a change within 12 weeks. (And 80% of women see results in just 4 weeks).