September 15, 2008 (CHARLESTON, SC) – The National Association For Continence (NAFC) has once again teamed up with Univision, the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States, to broadcast still another round of public service announcements (PSAs) produced in The National Association For Continence (NAFC). The NAFC has once again teamed up with Univision, the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States, to broadcast still another round of public service announcements (PSAs) produced in Spanish.Spanish. The new campaign largely targets men ages 45-65 years with problems of bladder control and enlarged prostate. Supplementing the men’s 15- and 30-second television messages are two radio PSAs being aired on Spanish-language stations in cities across the U.S. Additionally, a PSA directed toward women will be broadcast on Univision television stations nationwide. Univision’s multi-media forums reach more Hispanics each day than any other media company in the country.

This project represents the continuation of an outreach program initiated by NAFC in 2001, benefiting from grant support from the Medtronic Foundation. NAFC has assembled a national advisory task force of clinicians who serve large populations of Spanish-speaking patients in continence care to establish its project priorities and tailor its messaging. In addition, NAFC utilizes a task force comprised of other leading consumer education and health advocacy organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, to guide its efforts through their own experiences and successes. The organization has undertaken focus group market research with Latinas to craft more culturally sensitive materials and to better address their concerns surrounding bladder and pelvic health. In recent years, NAFC has published in print and electronically a set of educational booklets for men and women in Spanish (Cuando el Baño No Espera, or When the Bathroom Can’t Wait), expanded and updated educational content online in Spanish at www.nafc.org, and hired a Spanish language specialist on staff to receive calls on its toll-free (1-800-BLADDER) help line for consumers. As a result, NAFC Executive Director, Nancy Muller, participated as a speaker on “best practices” in a national health disparities forum held earlier this year in Los Angeles. NAFC’s message to Hispanic men and women is one that assures them their symptoms deserve attention and that behavioral, pharmaceutical, and surgical solutions are available.

Jake Jacobo, MD, practicing urologist and native Spanish-speaker, highlights important facts about prostate health and clarifies misconceptions in the men’s television and radio PSAs. He also answers frequently asked questions about men’s prostate and bladder health in a video interview available on the NAFC Web site at www.nafc.org/espanol/ayude-para-hombres. “I am delighted to be an integral part of this important message to Spanish-speaking United States residents,” Dr. Jacobo says referring to the recently produced men’s PSAs. “Out of the patients that visit my clinic, approximately one-third of them communicate in Spanish. It is crucial for our society to find ways to reach out to this minority group and help them receive the healthcare we all deserve.” It has been well-documented by researchers that Spanish speaking people in the U.S. are underserved by the healthcare delivery system, in part because they experience language and cultural barriers prohibiting them from seeking care.

As the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the U.S., the Hispanic, or Latino, population of any race exceeds 37 million.1 This figure represents one in every eight Americans and constitutes over nine million households. Like other population groups in America, Hispanics are witnessing a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, both risk factors for incontinence. In addition, pregnancy and childbirth are leading risk factors for incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women.

NAFC’s Spanish language resources are conveniently available by visiting www.nafc.org or by calling 1.800.BLADDER. Bulk quantities may be ordered by healthcare professionals.

(1) U.S Census Data, www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/compraceho.html

About the National Association For Continence (NAFC)

NAFC is a 501 (c) 3 corporation whose mission is threefold: 1) to educate the public about the causes, diagnosis categories, treatment options, and management alternatives for bladder and bowel control problems, voiding dysfunction, nocturnal enuresis, and related pelvic floor disorders; 2) to network with other organizations and agencies to elevate the visibility and priority given to these areas; and 3) to advocate on behalf of consumers who suffer from such symptoms as a result of disease or other illness, obstetrical, surgical or other trauma, or deterioration due to the aging process itself. NAFC is broadly funded by consumers, healthcare professionals and industry. It is the world’s largest and most prolific consumer advocacy organization devoted exclusively to this field.

About the Medtronic Foundation

In existence since 1978, the Medtronic Foundation is supported by medical device giant Medtronic, which consistently gives two percent of its domestic pretax profit to the communities where it has operations. Its goal of philanthropy is to improve the health of people with chronic diseases, educating future generations of scientific innovators and enhancing the communities where its employees live and work. It is based in Minneapolis at the global corporate headquarters of Medtronic, Inc.

About Univision Communications Inc. (Univision)

Univision is the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States. Our powerhouse portfolio includes Television, Radio, Music and Internet offerings that entertain and inform more Hispanics each day than any other media company in the country.  Our television operations include the Univision Network, TeleFutura Network, Galavisión and Univision and TeleFutura Television Groups. Univision also owns and operates Univision Radio and Univision Online. Univision holds a 50% interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa's pay television channels in the U.S.