In addition, a woman's urethra is shorter, approximately 3 to 5 cm, compared with about 23 cm for a man's urethra. Therefore, men have a longer area of urethral compression to resist bladder pressure when the bladder wants to contract. This is directly related to estrogen's effects. As estrogen levels decrease, the urethra loses its ability to compress. Urethral blood supply, tone, and suppleness are decreased and the urethra then becomes more rigid and pipelike.
Urinary incontinence can be transient or chronic.
Chronic incontinence is ongoing. The type of incontinence a patient has will determine the most appropriate treatment option. The result of weak sphincter or pelvic muscles, stress incontinence involves urine leakage with physical activity, laughing, or coughing. Also called instability incontinence or overactive bladder, urge incontinence occurs when the detrusor muscles of the bladder contract involuntarily. There is little time between feeling the need to urinate and leakage of urine.