I had cough for many weeks on end in 2006 that was so bad that I had to go on short term disability. It probably was whooping cough: it was during a period of time when pertussis returned due to low vaccination rates. When I had it, I experienced stress urinary incontinence. I could not help it. I later saw a urologist and she determined, through a painful test, that I have a shorter urethra than most women. Women have a short urethra to start with, compared to men, and mine is especially short. She offered a surgery. I did not want to do the surgery because I was afraid of it, did not consider the problem that bad, and was especially concerned that surgical messing up in this area might render me unable to have sensation and orgasms. I went to see a pelvic floor physical therapist. Back then it was a rare specialty but now there are practitioners in this area. She was also against the idea of a surgery and she gave me exercises. I recovered and since then have never had a cough as bad as that, and when I do not cough, I do not leak. When very occasionally I get a cough, I leak: I think it is just not possible not to given how short the passage from my bladder is. Since I am pretty health physically and rarely get coughs, this problem does not worry me. Leaking when coughing is common in women and I would say if you do not leak outside of coughing, I would not worry. If you decide to get really serious about strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, there are exercises for it but you would need to be seen by a pelvic floor PT and for that you need insurance.