Bhubaneswar, 2025 – Across India, an estimated 27.1% of women are living with urinary incontinence (UI)—a condition that affects not just physical health, but emotional and social well-being. Among them, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) alone impacts 15.9%, and is especially common in nulliparous women, with prevalence as high as 22.5%. Now, with rising awareness and access to care, India is poised to see a 25% increase in women seeking treatment for UI by 2025.[i]
In Odisha, the issue is particularly underdiagnosed, with many women from rural areas like Khordha and Nayagarh living with UI silently—avoiding travel, skipping social gatherings, and enduring the embarrassment of leakage in public. However, specialists across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are seeing a growing trend: women are starting to speak up and seek help.
Dr. Jyoti Mohan Tosh, Consultant – Urology & Renal Transplant Care, Multispeciality Hospital, Bhubaneswar, shared insights from her recent clinical experience: “Just last month, I treated a 32-year-old school teacher from Puri who was afraid to even stand for long periods in the classroom due to frequent leaks. She thought it was something she had to live with. In another case, a young homemaker from Bhadrak had been using cloth pads quietly for over five years, too ashamed to even tell her husband. These stories are far too common in our region.”
“The good news is—UI is treatable. With simple pelvic floor exercises, minor medication adjustments, and lifestyle changes like reducing caffeine and weight management, more than half of my patients see major improvement within 6 to 8 months. Some even regain complete continence. But the first step is breaking the silence. Women in Odisha must know this is not their fate—it’s a condition, and it can be managed.”
Treating urinary incontinence in India currently costs between ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 per patient, making early intervention a cost-effective and life-changing solution. Experts recommend expanding primary care screenings, increasing community-level health education, and investing in training for ASHA workers and ANMs who can recognize symptoms early.
Dr. Tosh adds, “As doctors, we’re ready. But we need the community, the policymakers, and even family members to support these women. 2025 can be the year we no longer whisper about UI behind closed doors—it can be the year we solve it, together.”
With the right attention and action, the goal of reducing urinary incontinence prevalence in India is not just ambitious—it’s achievable.
[i] https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/article/view/11135