Three million people affected, one in five women affected, up to 30% of athletes with no obstetric history affected: stress urinary incontinence remains massively under-reported. However, solutions exist. We still need to dare to consult.
Giving up in silence: when discomfort keeps you away from movement
They are 25, 45 or 60 years old. They practice running, fitness, tennis. Then one day, through a burst of laughter, a sprint or a simple jump, a leak occurs. Minimal sometimes. But enough to create doubt. And the shame.
According to data relayed by the French Association of Urology (AFU), three million people, all ages combined, are affected in France. One in five women suffer from stress urinary incontinence, with peak prevalence between the ages of 55 and 60. Even more surprising: up to 30% of athletic women with no obstetric history are affected.
Contrary to popular belief, this form of incontinence does not only concern sports practice. It can appear from a very young age, sometimes simply when laughing. Later in life, it can manifest itself when walking, when changing position or during everyday exercise. Sneezing, coughing, carrying a load, getting up: so many mundane actions that can be enough to cause a leak.
Faced with these episodes, many choose to reduce or even abandon all physical activity. “Some people stop exercising because of leaks. Others stop the leaks” reminds the French Association of Urology as part of its 2026 campaign.
Behind this formula, a reality with serious consequences. Less physical activity means more cardiovascular, metabolic and psychological risks. It is also an attack on self-esteem. Isolation sets in, insidiously.
Move differently: sport as a therapeutic lever
What if the problem was not the sport, but the lack of support? The AFU insists: stress urinary incontinence is not inevitable.
In many cases, reasonable, adapted and medically monitored physical activity helps to improve perineal muscle function, quality of life and self-confidence. The perineum, this group of muscles located at the base of the pelvis, plays a key role in organ maintenance and continence. When it is weakened or poorly coordinated, the pressure exerted by an effort – jumping, running, coughing – can lead to a leak.
© AFU
Stress urinary incontinence: “Stopping sport is not the solution”
Treatment is firstly based on a precise diagnosis. Distinguishing stress incontinence from urgency (pressing urge) is essential to guide treatment. A specialist consultation also makes it possible to eliminate possible associated pathologies.
“Stress urinary incontinence is a common pathology, but still too often experienced in silence. Many patients wrongly think that they must give up all physical activity. Our role is to explain, reassure and offer personalized solutions. In the majority of cases, simple, early and well-explained treatment allows you to continue, or even resume, a suitable sporting activity. The urologist is the reference specialist to support these patients and give them the freedom to move.” declares Professor Véronique Phé, urologist at Tenon hospital (Paris).
Perineal rehabilitation is often the first step. Supervised by a specialized physiotherapist or a midwife, it aims to strengthen and coordinate the muscles of the pelvic floor. To this can be added the correction of aggravating factors – overweight, constipation, hormonal disorders –, the use of medical devices, or even, in certain cases, minimally invasive or surgical treatments.
The approach is progressive, individualized. And, in the majority of situations, effective.
Breaking the taboo: a national mobilization to free speech
If solutions exist, why do so many women – and men – delay seeking advice? The weight of the taboo remains immense. Incontinence affects the intimate, control and self-image. She hides.
From March 16 to 22, 2026, Continence Week intends to “move the lines”. The AFU will deploy a national awareness campaign: a spot broadcast in March, a live broadcast on social networks on March 18 at 7 p.m. with Professor Véronique Phé and Dr François Meyer, information materials in more than 1,350 urology practices in France. The initiative benefits from the support of the French Association for Rehabilitation in Pelvi-Perineology (AFRePP), committed to informing and coordinating those involved in pelvi-perineology.
The objective is clear: remove the obstacles to consultation and remind people that validated treatments exist. No longer let embarrassment decide for patients.
Basically, the message is simple, but essential. Stopping moving is not the solution. To be accompanied, yes. Because preserving your health also requires the right to run, jump, laugh — without fear.