A leading doctor is calling for urgent action to change public attitudes towards incontinence.
Professor Douglas Tincello, a urogynaecologist, believes many women with urinary incontinence are suffering in silence because they feel the subject is unmentionable.
He said: "Urinary incontinence among women is a much more common condition than many people realise.
"For many years, the subject has been considered taboo, or a normal consequence of having children and growing old.
"In the 10 years I have been a consultant within the NHS in Leicester, I have seen this attitude change as awareness grows among the public, patients and GPs that incontinence should not be regarded as an inevitable result of being female and that it is indeed highly treatable.
"In parallel with increasing awareness, medical research has moved rapidly within this field."
Prof Tincello, from the University of Leicester's Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, is to give a free public lecture on the subject on Tuesday, November 20.
The lecture will outline the causes of incontinence and prolapse, available treatments and focus on the research conducted in this field.
Prof Tincello, is one of five academic urogynaecologists in the country.
The lecture will be held at 5.30pm at the Ken Edwards Building, at the University of Leicester.
