Your healthcare provider will ask you about your urinary incontinence, such as how often you have symptoms, for how long, and how bad your symptoms are. They will also ask how your symptoms affect the things you do every day.
Tell your healthcare provider if you use pads for urinary incontinence, how many pads you use, and how often you need to change your clothes because of your condition.
You will have a physical exam of your abdomen (belly area) and an internal pelvic exam. You may also do a cough stress test to see how much urine leaks.
Other things to tell your healthcare provider
You are the most important part of your healthcare team. Tell your healthcare provider about the impact urinary incontinence is having on the things that are important to you, like your job, relationships, hobbies, and interests.
Making the most of your appointment
If you don't understand what your healthcare team is telling you, let them know right away. Be open and honest. You might say:
- “It sounded like you said that I should… Did I understand that correctly?"
- “Can you show me a picture or model to help me understand?"
Learn more about
working with your healthcare team and
making the most of your appointment.
Female Urinary Incontinence Pathway
Download or print the
full patient pathway (PDF) and
summary (one-page PDF) to learn more about how to manage and treat female urinary incontinence.
Patient Pathway 
Summary
