New Delhi, Aug, 2025 — In a startling revelation that highlights a silent yet widespread women’s health crisis, recent data shows that approximately 25% of women in Delhi NCR are living with urinary incontinence, a condition that significantly disrupts daily life, productivity, and emotional well-being.
Among these women, nearly 70% experience stress urinary incontinence—a form triggered by everyday activities such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting. Despite its high prevalence, many women do not seek help due to shame, misinformation, or lack of access to timely care.[i]
The social stigma surrounding incontinence runs deep: 40% of affected women report feeling embarrassed or humiliated, often isolating themselves socially and avoiding professional settings. On top of the emotional toll, the economic burden is also considerable, with the average cost of treatment and management estimated at Rs 50,000 per year per patient.[ii]
This is not merely a quality-of-life issue—it’s a public health concern demanding a broader, systemic response. Health experts are calling for urgent focus on early diagnosis, specialized treatment pathways, and widespread awareness campaigns to destigmatize the condition and ensure more women come forward for treatment.[iii]
“Urinary incontinence is one of the most overlooked women’s health conditions in India today—not because it is rare, but because it is silenced. For many women, leaking urine becomes a quiet burden they carry for years, assuming it’s normal or something they must live with after childbirth, menopause, or aging. But let me be clear: it is treatable, and it should not be normalized. We now have advanced diagnostics, pelvic floor rehabilitation, and even minimally invasive surgical techniques that can dramatically improve outcomes. What we need is early reporting, compassionate care, and a cultural shift that encourages women to speak up without shame. As a urologist, I see firsthand how timely treatment restores not just bladder control, but dignity and confidence,” said Dr. Paras Singhal, MBBS (AIIMS), MS (AIIMS), MCh Urology, Fellowship in Prostate Cancer (New York, USA), Urologist, Andrologist, and Kidney Transplant Surgeon.
With over 20 million women in India affected, experts emphasize that the time to act is now. It’s not just about managing symptoms it’s about restoring health, confidence, and everyday freedom to countless women who’ve been suffering in silence.
[i] https://journals.lww.com/jfmpc/fulltext/2024/13080/prevalence_of_urinary_incontinence_in_nulliparous.70.aspx
[ii] https://medcraveonline.com/OGIJ/prevalence-and-risk-factors-of-urinary-incontinence-among-women-delivering-in-a-tertiary-care-center-of-northern-india.html