How to Stop Incontinence From Ruining Your Sex Life

WANT TO HAVE SEX, DESPITE A LEAKY BLADDER? HERE’S HOW

You might not feel very sexy when you struggle with urinary incontinence. According to a recent study published in BJU International, you’re not alone; urinary incontinence often decreases sexual desire and activity. (1) But while incontinence and sex may seem like an impossible combination, with the right strategies, you can enjoy a healthy sex life—whether you’re a man or a woman with poor bladder control.

5 Tips for Improving Your Sex Life With Urinary Incontinence

1. Talk to Your Partner

While most people can greatly improve their bladder control (more on this later), reversing urinary incontinence can take time. In the meantime, a leaky bladder doesn’t have to pause your sex life. But the key is to be upfront and honest with your partner. Explain what’s going on and voice any concerns that you have. If you’re both happy to work around the leakage, there’s no reason why you can’t have some fun between the sheets.

2. Be Prepared

So you’ve talked with your partner, and you’re both ready to become intimate despite the risk of some urine leakage. The next step is prepping your bedroom—or wherever it is that you want to have sex. To keep your mattress safe, consider opting for a waterproof mattress protector. You can simply pop this into the washing machine when you’re finished.

3. Practice Double Voiding

Right before sex, empty your bladder twice—a practice known as double voiding. To do this, go to the bathroom, then wait a few minutes and do so again. Double voiding helps empty your bladder, so there won’t be as much of a mess to clean up.

4. Practice Kegel Exercises

Strengthening your pelvic floor is an excellent way to mitigate bladder control problems in the long run. Pelvic floor exercises, known as Kegels, are easy to do. Head over to our step-by-step bladder control exercises page for how-tos.

5. Use Nutrition to Support Bladder Health

Your diet and daily supplements can go a long way towards improving your bladder health. Reducing bladder irritants, eating nutrient-rich foods, and using herbal supplements for bladder control are three ways you can naturally reduce incontinence symptoms.

First, cut down on alcohol and caffeine—two common irritants that can exacerbate bladder control issues. Next, add in a variety of whole foods. Whole foods come directly from the earth and don’t go through all sorts of processing. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, eggs, and lean proteins all support a healthy bladder.

Finally, a bladder control product can provide your body with compounds that help the bladder. BetterMAN and BetterWOMAN are Chinese herbal formulas designed to improve bladder control and bladder health.* They’ve both been clinically tested, with participants reporting fewer occasional leaks along with more freedom and confidence—which is quite helpful when you’re navigating sex with incontinence.*