Our aim was to amplify the knowledge about the life experiences with urinary incontinence of Brazilian women. Were used the clinical-qualitative method with semi-directed interview. Eight women, housemaids, the 30 to 45 years, low socioeconomic status, with complain of urinary incontinence and never seek treatment, were selected by the "snowball" technique, and the size closing was by saturation criterion. The content analysis technique and psychodynamic approaches allowed the creation of two categories: one hidden problem and lonely life experience. For women, urinary incontinence is a problem that should be hidden, one obstacle in interpersonal interactions, a stigma that prevents the search for treatment. They live in fear and shame. They silenced, suffer alone, and to resist, react with the loneliness. The conclusions were that incontinent women prefer silence to having to ask for help, the insulation in was the protection form and aloneness, survival.
Urinary incontinence; Qualitative research; Women's health; Life change events; Psychosocial impact