Urinary System Pathologies Practice Test

Continence is the ability to hold urine and stool until you choose to release them. When that control is lost, the condition is called incontinence. It’s a broad term that covers loss of control of either urine, stool, or both.

Urinary incontinence refers specifically to urine loss, and fecal incontinence refers to stool loss, so they are narrower terms. Stress incontinence is a type of urinary incontinence triggered by actions that increase abdominal pressure, like coughing or lifting. Overactive bladder describes symptoms of urgency and frequency and isn’t defined by a loss of stool control. Since the question describes inability to control both urine and feces, the general term incontinence best fits.