Introduction: Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine, caused by many factors, such as stress, age, lifestyle, childbirth, weight gain, weakening pelvic muscles, etc. It is one of the most common issues that occurs in the postnatal period. It can affect between 3% and 40% of women who give birth and can have an impact on the quality of women's lives. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present postnatal urinary incontinence and the ways in which it affects the lives of women who have given birth. Methods: For the purpose of this thesis we used a descriptive method with a literature review. The literature researched was in the English and Slovene languages, and was published between 2001 and 2020. Results: The occurrence of urinary incontinence significantly affects the quality of both the woman and the partner's lives. Due to urinary leakage during sexual intercourse, women often avoid or reduce sexual activity because they feel anxious, ashamed, unaccepted, guilty and unattractive, leading to low self-esteem and unpleasant sexual intercourse. In addition to the impact on women's sex lives, their social and economic status suffers. Due to the smell and wet clothes, women must wear sanitary pads and take care of their skin. Women also often choose to stay in their familiar surroundings, to stay at home or they can become socially isolated. Discussion and conclusion: The occurrence of urinary incontinence results in lifestyle changes for women and they require more support, especially from their partners. In addition to partners, healthcare professionals have a big role, utilising their knowledge to advise women on how to improve their quality of life. We still do not talk openly about sexual health issues, so it would be helpful to discuss this with women and their partners when the issue arises, so that they can prepare for the potential problems and find the solutions simultaneously, which would significantly improve their sexual satisfaction.
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