Which gender is more commonly affected by urinary retention?

• A. Women
• B. Men
• C. Both equally
• D. None

Answer: (B)

Urinary retention is most often caused by a blockage at the outlet of the bladder. In men, the common culprit is enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia). The prostate surrounds the urethra, so as it grows with age it narrows the urine passage. That extra resistance makes it harder for the bladder to empty, and can lead to sudden or chronic retention. Women don’t have a prostate, so they lack this frequent obstructive factor; when retention does occur in women, it’s usually due to other issues like urethral or bladder neck problems, prior pelvic surgery, or neurological conditions, and it’s much less common overall. So, the higher prevalence in men mainly comes from prostate-related obstruction.