Colorectal and anal symptoms in women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Our aim was to determine the prevalence of colorectal and anal (CRA) symptoms in women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse (UI/POP) in a predominantly Latina population.

Methods: We reviewed charts of women seen in the urogynecology clinic for UI/POP for those who completed the colorectal anal distress inventory-8 (CRADI-8) on their first visit. A detailed history was taken independent of the questionnaire.

Results: Two hundred sixty-five women completed the questionnaire; 94% were Latina; 89% completed the questionnaire in Spanish. Of the women, 88% indicated at least one CRA symptom: 60% reported needing to strain hard to have a bowel movement; 59% reported sensation of incomplete bowel emptying; 21% indicated incontinence of solid or liquid stool, and an additional 30% of women reported flatal incontinence only, for a total anal incontinence rate of 58%.

Conclusion: CRA symptoms are highly prevalent among women with UI/POP who completed the CRADI-8 in a predominantly Latina patient population.