Urinary incontinence affects 30-50% of women and although prevalence increases with age, urinary leakage among young women is common. Though common, urinary incontinence is NOT “normal” at any age and numerous studies have demonstrated the negative impact of urinary incontinence on independence, self-esteem, mental health conditions, and interpersonal relationships. Join Dr. Catherine Bradley, Urogynecologist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, as she discusses common types of female urinary incontinence seen in primary care practice and we, as healthcare providers, can help our patients regain control and confidence.

• Understand common types of female urinary incontinence seen in primary care practice.
• Describe the initial evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of urinary incontinence.
• Identify advanced treatment options and resources to support patients who don't respond to initial treatments.

Catherine Bradley, M.D., M.S.C.E., is a Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine with secondary appointments as Professor in Urology and Epidemiology (College of Public Health). She is Division Director of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Fellowship Program Director in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (FPMRS). Dr. Bradley is recognized nationally and internationally as a clinical and epidemiologic researcher in female pelvic floor disorders and academic leader in FPMRS. She completed her Ob-Gyn residency and FPMRS fellowship as well as Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania before joining Iowa’s faculty in 2003. Dr. Bradley’s research interests focus on diagnostic and outcome measures for urinary incontinence in women and on risk factors and symptoms associated with urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders. Her past research funded by the NIH and VA has included developing and testing a new diagnostic questionnaire for female urinary incontinence and a nationwide longitudinal study of women veterans to better understand temporal associations between mental health disorders and overactive bladder/urgency urinary incontinence. She currently co-leads Iowa researchers in a NIH-funded network studying women and men with lower urinary tract dysfunction to develop an innovative symptom-based instrument and to collect detailed longitudinal data to better understand phenotypic subgroups of patients. In addition to her positions at the University of Iowa, Dr. Bradley is currently Gynecology Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and she was elected in 2020 to a 4-year term on the Executive Board for the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS), currently serving as Vice President.