Maya Dagan’s joke during "Dancing with the Stars," about dancing at age 50 in menopause with urine leaks and “every woman in menopause has a diaper,” drew laughs from the judges and many viewers, but it also highlighted a medical issue many women know well and rarely discuss. The article says urinary incontinence can mean a few drops when coughing or laughing, or leakage during exercise, running, dancing, or jumping, and it often appears or worsens around menopause because hormonal changes affect the pelvic floor, bladder tissue, and the urinary system.
Dr. Aryeh Isaiah, a gynecology specialist and head of gynecological aesthetics at Maccabi Aesthetics, said Dagan “touched an exposed nerve” for many women. He said the condition is extremely common, with about 30% to 50% of menopausal women experiencing some degree of leakage, and that many more women after one or two births also suffer from it. He said only a small share seek help because of embarrassment or the mistaken belief that nothing can be done.
Isaiah explained that lower estrogen levels weaken and thin tissues in the vaginal lining, bladder neck, and pelvic floor, reducing the bladder’s ability to withstand pressure. He said dynamic activity can reveal the problem because it sharply increases abdominal pressure. The article distinguishes between stress incontinence, which happens during coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping, or dancing, and overactive bladder, which causes a sudden, urgent need to urinate and may lead to leakage before reaching a toilet. Some women have both.
Treatment options have expanded, Isaiah said, and are chosen based on severity and cause. He described laser therapy, which heats deeper tissue layers to stimulate collagen and improve support around the urethra, as well as radiofrequency treatments and local hormone therapy. In more severe cases, surgery may be considered. His message to women is: “The shame stops life. Remove the shame, dance, exercise and take care of yourselves.”
Pelvic floor physiotherapist and sports injury specialist Shani Avraham said women do not need to accept the condition as inevitable. She said pelvic floor physical therapy can sometimes solve the problem completely, especially in milder cases where patients learn to activate the correct muscles during strain. She urged women not to let shame limit their lives, saying many stop exercising, avoid events, and live in fear of leakage, and advised anyone who recognizes the symptoms to seek professional help through their health fund or privately.
