Male Incontinence Facts

January 21, 2026

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Humberto Villarreal, M.D., assistant clinical professor, Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte.

Male incontinence is less common than female incontinence, affecting between 3% and 11% of U.S. men. The risk for developing incontinence rises as men age, and certain treatments for cancers (such as surgery for prostate cancer) may lead to incontinence as well.

What Is Male Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control, resulting in the accidental leakage of urine from a man’s body. Because it may happen when men don’t expect it, it can lead to quality-of-life issues among men who experience it.

Types of Male Urinary Incontinence

Not all types of male incontinence are the same. Listed below are several of the most common types.

Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence may cause men to leak urine when they cough, laugh, sneeze, lift heavy objects or exercise. Men may sleep through the night without having to get up to go to the bathroom, but leak when they get up in the morning.

Stress incontinence happens when the muscle that squeezes the urethra to keep urine in the bladder is weak or damaged or the nerves that help the muscle work have been damaged.

Going to the bathroom more often is a way to handle stress incontinence. It’s the least common type of male incontinence overall, but the most common among men who have undergone prostate surgery.

Overflow Incontinence

When the bladder has a hard time emptying and more urine is made than it can hold, it may leak out. This is called overflow incontinence. Overflow incontinence is usually caused by a blockage or narrowing caused by scar tissue. It also may happen when the bladder muscle is not strong enough to get all the urine out.

Signs of overflow incontinence may include:

• Getting up often during the night to go to the bathroom
• Taking a long time to urinate or having a weak, dribbling stream, with little force
• Passing small amounts of urine and not feel that the bladder is empty or feeling the urge to go to the bathroom without being able to do so
• Leaking urine throughout the day

Urge Incontinence

Urge incontinence is also known as an overactive bladder, and is the most common male incontinence type overall. This condition occurs when the bladder muscle contracts too often without warning and a man cannot control it. This can be caused by a prostate infection or bladder irritation from radiation therapy.

With this type of incontinence, even a small amount of urine in the bladder can trigger a strong need to pass urine. Because the patient cannot hold a normal amount of urine, he has to go to the bathroom a lot and may wet himself if he doesn’t get there right away. The patient may feel as if he has a weak bladder or that liquids go right through him. Some patients may even wet the bed at night.

Male Incontinence Causes

The causes of incontinence in men may differ depending on the incontinence type.

Stress Incontinence Causes in Men

Stress incontinence often occurs after surgery for prostate cancer.

In a healthy male, the bladder neck and the prostate are closed at rest, as are the muscles of the external sphincter. When the prostate is removed during a prostatectomy, the bladder neck will no longer be closed at rest, since the prostate has been removed. This leaves only the external sphincter to control urine. In some men, this is not enough to hold urine back when coughing or sneezing.

Other causes of stress incontinence in men may include injuries to the nerves, trauma to the area and birth defects.

Overflow Incontinence Causes in Men

Men who have prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate may experience overflow incontinence because the prostate blocks the urethra. When the urethra is blocked, it may be difficult to completely empty the bladder, causing urine leakage due to overflow.

Overflow incontinence may also occur when there’s a high volume of urine in the body, such as those due to the use of diuretics (water pills) or conditions like diabetes.

Urge Incontinence Causes in Men

As men age, it is not uncommon for the prostate to increase in size, causing the bladder to work harder to eliminate urine. When the bladder has to work harder to empty, it becomes more irritable, leading to frequent urination, frequent wakings at night to urinate and the sudden urge to urinate. In severe cases, the urge to urinate can be so drastic that it actually causes a man to leak urine on the way to the bathroom.

In other cases, the nerves that supply the bladder are damaged from conditions such as spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, diabetic neuropathy or multiple sclerosis. When the bladder loses these nerves, it exhibits a similar pattern of irritability that gets worse over time. In these cases, the symptoms tend to be worse than in those with an enlarged prostate. The bladder can become thickened and it may not be able to hold as much urine. The process of urinating may not be coordinated, so as the bladder squeezes to empty, the sphincter also squeezes.

Male Incontinence Risk Factors

Certain factors may increase the risk for developing urinary incontinence, including those listed below.

Older age: Incontinence is more common as men age. About 11% of men between the ages of 60 and 64 and 21% of males aged 65 or older experience incontinence.

Family history: Men who have relatives with urinary incontinence may be at higher risk of developing this condition.

Race and ethnicity: Male incontinence is higher among Black and Hispanic males than it is in white and Asian males.