Urinary incontinence (UI) is a serious health problem, which is usually neglected by both health professionals and patients, and negatively affects women’s social, psychological and sexual life. The aim of this descriptive study was planned to identify UI-affecting women who attended the gynaecology outpatient clinic at a training military hospital in Turkey, their individual perception levels of
... [Show full abstract] the effect and the effect of UI on their social lives. Sample of this study included 229 patients who were older than 18 years and had a normal delivery. The data obtained from the application were analysed as percentages in the spss 11.0 program. By means of a two-section questionnaire, it was found that 37.1% of the women had experienced UI, and the problem was affecting their social life ‘slightly’ at a rate of 28.2%; and ‘highly’ and ‘extremely highly’ with a rate of 41.2% in total. This study suggests that nurses can identify UI symptoms among women who attend to gynaecological outpatient clinics, assess them from the perspective of UI risk factors, explore their thoughts on the effects of UI symptoms on their social lives and encourage them to get treatment accordingly.