Combined Sensate Focus and Pelvic Floor Muscle Training versus Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Alone for Sexual Function in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common subtype of urinary incontinence among women, with reported prevalence ranging from approximately 15% to 35% depending on population and diagnostic criteria, and it impairs sexual function through physiological and psychological mechanisms. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) addresses anatomical deficits but not psychosocial barriers such as intimacy avoidance and performance anxiety. Sensate focus, a psychobehavioral technique, reduces performance demand and reconnects couples with pleasurable bodily sensations. This trial evaluated whether combining sensate focus with PFMT yields superior improvement in sexual function versus PFMT alone in married women with SUI.