Do Urologists Treat Female Patients?

Most people assume that only men need to see a urologist, but this isn’t true. Women may need to see a urologist for a variety of health issues. Here are five reasons a woman may need to make an appointment with a urologist.

Urinary tract infections are typically more common for women than they are for men. Symptoms of a UTI include a strong, persistent urge to urinate, burning or pain when urinating, passing frequent, small amounts of urine and pelvic pain. Learn more about UTIs here.

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you can’t relax the muscles in your pelvic floor to pee or have a bowel movement. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles found at the base of your pelvis. It supports several organs, including the bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum. Some pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms include pain when the vagina is penetrated and pain in your lower back, pelvic region, genitals and rectum. You may also experience painful urination, leaking poop or leaking urine.

Urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control can result in leaking urine. There are various types of urinary incontinence, and this condition may be temporary or may persist for a long time.

Pelvic organ prolapse happens when the muscles and tissues supporting the pelvic organs (uterus, bladder or rectum) weaken and allow one or more of the pelvic organs to drop or press into or out of the vagina. This condition’s symptoms include difficulty urinating, frequent urination, heaviness or pain in the pelvic area or lower back, painful sex, difficulty inserting tampons and feeling or seeing something bulging through the vaginal opening.

Urinary stones are just what they sound like – little stones or rocks that form in the urinary tract. They may cause issues including bleeding, pain and infection. Stones may also block the flow of urine. Larger stones can cause extreme pain between the ribs and hips and can spread across the abdomen to the genital area. Other symptoms include the urge to pee frequently, nausea, vomiting, restlessness, sweating or blood in the urine.

Urologists do not only specialize in men’s health. If you are a woman experiencing the symptoms above, you should make an appointment with a healthcare professional, and they will discuss your treatment options.