title: Distribution of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in adult women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the distribution of lower urinary tract symptoms in adult women and the frequency with which the women consulted a health care provider for their symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analytical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community Health Center of Aga Khan University Hospital from November 1st to 30th, 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  A trained interviewer administered a structured questionnaire to women patients or attendants aged 18 years and older coming to the center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two percent of the study subjects reported having at least one or more urinary complaints in the past. Stress incontinence was the highest reported complaint (38.4%) followed by burning (34.4%), frequency (26%), painful micturition (20.4%), urge incontinence (18.8 %), incomplete emptying of bladder (14.4%), dribbling (12.4%) and poor stream (8.4%). Forty-three percent of the women with LUTS never consulted a health care provider for their problem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the distribution of LUTS among females was found to be high, the patients did not consider it important enough to consult a health care provider. There is a need to create awareness among females regarding LUTS and the need to consult a health care provider for their problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. marie.andrades@aku.edu
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrades
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambreen
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodani
authors.forename: Raheem H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Dhanani
authors.forename: Waris
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qidwai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*