Incontinence is a prevalent yet often overlooked health issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It is often associated with the elderly and infirm but new research by TENA, a global leading provider of incontinence products, shows that a lack of bladder control is becoming increasingly common in the US. From adult bedwetting to temporary loss of control during exercise, urinary incontinence affects a wide range of American citizens – and it’s on the rise.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of more than 5,000 adult women, more than 60% of community-dwelling adult women in the United States experience urinary incontinence. Despite its prevalence, societal taboos often shroud the topic in silence, leading to misinformation, stigma, and limited access to support and resources.
TENA’s research shows that almost 14 million searches were made for urinary incontinence information in the US last year – that’s up to 1 in 20 US citizens a year. More than 1 in 4 (28%) are related to menopause, a common time for bladder weakness to strike. Demand for information is also growing by 3% each quarter.
American citizens are also increasingly likely to turn to the internet for advice:
- Google searches for urinary incontinence are up 25% since 2019.
- There were 13,000 related conversations across US Facebook, X & Reddit over 30 days.
- Common topics included pregnancy, menopause and surgery, with many stressing they were unprepared for loss of bladder control.
- Most users reported feelings of shame, fear and frustration around the condition, leading to feelings of isolation.
“In my mind, it’s something that only happens to women with kids or older women. I’ve never been pregnant, and I’m in my mid-30s, so it seems like I’m too young to be dealing with this,” said Allison Grant, a 34-year-old woman experiencing incontinence.
Hazel Villarreal, Marketing Director of TENA North America, said, “The data reveals a growing awareness and proactive approach to managing incontinence. It’s heartening to see individuals taking the initiative to seek out information and solutions to improve their quality of life.”
For their research, TENA used keyword search tools like Google Trends and social listening through Reddit and Pulsar, which allowed TENA to gather insights on the U.S.’s online behavior over the past year when talking about incontinence.
Key Findings:
- Every year about one in 20 people in the U.S. are searching for incontinence related topics.
- Seven in 10 people searching for incontinence topics are looking for education on the condition.
- Search queries for incontinence related topics are increasing by 3% each quarter in the U.S.
- West Virginia and Alaska are the top two states most interested in incontinence.
The Prevalence of Incontinence
In the United States alone, there are 1,016,130 internet searches related to incontinence monthly. When broken down further, there are 33,871 searches daily related to incontinence. This means that every year, about 1 in 20 people in the U.S. are searching for incontinence related topics on the web. Despite its prevalence, incontinence remains vastly underreported and taboo due to social stigma and embarrassment.
These social stigmas surrounding bladder leakage are causing people to forfeit talking to their doctor about their condition and instead turning to internet searches or social media through anonymous chat communities like Reddit. The Reddit community dedicated to bladder leakage, r/Incontinence has more than 5,000 members alone. Other Reddit communities like r/TwoXChromosomes (14M members), r/CaregiverSupport (19k members), and r/AskWomenOver30 (225K members) frequently bring up the topic as well.
For some people, turning to Reddit or the internet is even more helpful than turning to a doctor. A Reddit post titled, “Embarrassing question, but it’s gotta be asked: urinary incontinence” went into detail about experiencing incontinence while weightlifting.
Here’s what the community member’s doctor had to say about her incontinence, “I brought the issue up with my doctor on Friday, and she suggested a urine test to see if I might perhaps have an underlying infection. The test results came back negative, and the only other thing she suggested is that I stop lifting any heavy weights. It’s not like I’m doing anything crazy, I only squat 100 lbs 5×5, 2-3 days per week, and I’ve definitely never had this problem before!”
The research from TENA makes it apparent that people have an appetite for information surrounding incontinence, but they’re ashamed to talk about it with medical professionals or family and friends, choosing to do so anonymously instead.
Additionally, the prevalence of search queries related to incontinence have gone up 3% each quarter since October 2023. In the US, there are an average of 157,382 searches for the term “incontinence” every month. While the term “urinary incontinence” is more niche, there are still 22,128 searches on average every month.This has risen by 10% and 11% in the last two quarters, respectively.
Common Questions and Concerns
Incontinence is a widespread condition that impacts individuals of all ages and backgrounds. According to recent estimates, over 500 million people worldwide experience some form of incontinence, with the prevalence increasing with age.
Individuals suffering from incontinence often have numerous questions and concerns about their condition. We broke these queries into categories to see what people are searching for when looking for incontinence related topics and found that education, products, treatments, and prevention were the 4 most common query types.
Of those searching for incontinence topics, the queries related to “overactive bladder” were mostly treatment related (70%) where searchers were looking for information on how to manage their bladder, while medical education on the topic was second most searched for, 23%.
Additionally, we noticed that when we looked at “bladder control” queries, we found that education behind the cause was the primary intent of the searcher (70%) followed by prevention through exercise (22%).
Of those searching for “incontinence”, about 7 in 10 are looking for education on the topic. Search queries like, “urge incontinence” and “what is menopause” are among the top 5 queries people are searching for education on.
Most common incontinence related monthly search queries in the U.S. and their average search volume each month:
- What is menopause? – 27,100
- When does menopause start? – 27,100
- How long does menopause last? – 22,200
- What age does menopause start? – 9,900
- Urge incontinence – 9,900
- Incontinence pads – 8,100
- North American Menopause Society – 5,400
- Is bleeding after menopause always cancer? – 4,400
- When do women go through menopause? – 4,400
- Incontinence products – 4,400
Addressing these questions and providing accurate information is crucial in empowering individuals to seek help and manage their incontinence effectively.
TENA is looking for the media to provide support as they look to ease social stigma and improve quality of care for all US citizens experiencing incontinence. Publishing this research is the first step on that journey.
For anyone struggling with incontinence, you’re not alone. TENA’s study found that 1 in 20 people are searching for incontinence every year in the U.S. and more than 60% of women in the U.S. are dealing with urinary incontinence. Together, we can change the stigmas surrounding incontinence and make it less taboo so that our children and grandchildren don’t suffer in silence.
[DISCLAIMER: The data presented in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis. While efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information, readers are encouraged to consult healthcare professionals for personalized guidance and treatment. For more information about TENA visit the website.]
