We need to talk about incontinence, Dudley MP tells Parliament
Incontinence affects one in three women, but thousands are too ashamed to talk about it. MARK ANDREWS meets the Black Country MP who wants to break that stigma
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It is the elephant in the room, the illness that dare not speak its name.
While a third of women suffer from incontinence, Sonia Kumar says only a small minority actually find it within themselves to actually seek treatment.
"Many have voiced feelings of overwhelming shame and isolation," says the former physiotherapist-turned-Black Country MP.
The Dudley MP shared personal stories from her time working with patients when she broached the sensitive subject during a debate in Parliament.
She said only 17 per cent of women sought professional help for urinary incontinence, often due to a popular misconception that it was a natural part of aging. While the £25 million funding for women's health hubs, announced by the previous government in 2023, was a step in the right direction, Miss Kumar said more must be done to expand the range and awareness of service.
"Imagine being doubly incontinent and how it affects where you can go, how long you can be out the house, your relationships and your mental and physical health," she said.
"A body that is malfunctioning when you need it most can feel like it's letting you down."
Miss Kumar arguee that there was also an economic case for further investment in women's health services, with every £1 spent saving the economy £13 through fewer hospital admissions and missed workdays.
During the debate, she put forward a raft of measures, including expanding women’s access to physiotherapy, which she said could reduce the number of women silently suffering for months on waiting lists, and also reduce the need for surgery further down the line.
She said greater integration of physiotherapy within communities and women’s health hubs could play an important role in preventing and treating mild to moderate cases, while more basic treatments could be provided on the high street, without the need for a GP referral. A national awareness campaign could also be used to promote the support available from women's hubs.
She added: “As a nation, let us break the silence, end the stigma, let us bring back dignity and let us liberate women from the anxiety that incontinence brings, To the women listening to this debate, you are not alone, and there is no shame."
