Get this: urinary incontinence affects more people than diabetes or Alzheimer's, yet 50% of women who have urinary incontinence never seek help.

Now get this: The Agency of Healthcare Research and Policy reports that 8 out of 10 cases of urinary incontinence can be improved.

So why don't more women get help?

Female Urinary Incontinence and the "Good Girl-Bad Girl" Problem
For many women, the simple answer is, "embarrassment," which is understandable. However, it turns out that there is often a deeper issue involved. Some call it the "Good Girl-Bad Girl" syndrome. This syndrome is basically associated with the cultural taboos we pick up early in life, usually during potty training.

In a recent seminar co-sponsored by the National Association for Continence, experts explained how shame is associated with bathroom issues from an early age, during the potty-training stage. Young children are taught that they are either "good girls" or "bad girls," depending on whether they "performed" well in potty training.

Later in life, these subliminal messages of "good girl" or "bad girl" still haunt many women, even if they are not conscious of these thoughts. As a result, these women feel embarrassed to discuss bathroom-related issues, so don't seek the help they need for their urinary incontinence symptoms.

The Good News About Female Urinary Incontinence
Luckily, once you become aware of these subliminal messages or your embarrassment about discussing urinary incontinence, you can start to overcome those feelings. For more on how to overcome embarrassment, or to find out more about female urinary incontinence, click the links below.

Women's Urinary Incontinence: Overcoming Embarrassment
Is This You? The Different Kinds of Urinary Incontinence
How the Story Ends - Solutions for Urinary Incontinence

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