Do you have a medical problem that you are embarrassed to talk about? Too often, people’s embarrassment keeps them from finding out about possible solutions for their medical conditions. Fecal incontinence (FI)—the inability to control one’s bowels—might not be something you feel comfortable discussing with your friends, but health care providers can provide answers for this condition that affects approximately 7 percent of women. The condition becomes worse with age and tends to occur more frequently in women whose muscles were damaged during childbirth.

Researching the Problem

In 2006, Dee E. Fenner, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and director of Gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School, was senior author on an award-winning paper that studied FI. The researchers found that women in the study who had FI were also more likely to have: a higher number of deliveries, urinary incontinence, a previous hysterectomy, another medical condition such as major depression or diabetes, or a history of operative vaginal delivery involving forceps or a vacuum-assisted device.