May 12, 2006 (NEW YORK, NY) – The National Association For Continence (NAFC) hosts a media briefing beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Dr. Cheryl Iglesia, Director of Urogynecology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, leads the meeting. As a salute to Women’s Health Month, recognized in May, the focus is on women’s wellness, specifically a condition, called pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Dr. Iglesia explains POP as the “descent of the uterus, bladder or rectum into the vagina or against the vaginal wall due to weakened pelvic floor muscles.” This condition is quite prevalent, affecting millions of women. However, the topic is rarely discussed because the vast majority of the population does not know what it is or how to detect it. In addition to that, out of the 50% of women who have given birth develop some form of genital prolapse but only 10% to 20% of them experience symptoms.1 Pregnancy may promote the condition in several ways6: changes in connective tissue during pregnancy, pressure and weight of the uterus on the pelvic floor, weight gain of the mother, trauma to the pelvic floor and connective tissue during vaginal delivery, abdominal straining during labor, and ensuing nerve damage7,8.

Intended for women of all ages, the briefing introduced pelvic organ prolapse, its symptoms, prevalence, risk factors and treatments. NAFC continues its mission to promote strategies to prevent genital prolapse, encourage early intervention through diagnosis and treatment, and improve the public’s knowledge about how to maintain bladder, bowel, and pelvic floor muscle health.

NAFC has dedicated its most recent newsletter to pelvic organ prolapse. An elite group of doctors expand on frequently asked questions and clarify misconceptions about the condition. The experts in urology and gynecology found in this issue of Quality Care® include: Linda Brubaker, MD; John DeLancey, MD; Kristenell Keil, MD; Karl Luber, MD; Rebecca Rogers, MD; Eric Rovner, MD. These doctors also contributed to an entirely new section on NAFC’s web site, which concentrates solely on genital prolapse. Furthermore, NAFC adds “Pelvic Organ Prolapse: What is it? How is it Treated?”, to its list of over 20 other leaflet topics.

To learn more, call NAFC at 1-800-BLADDER (1-800-252-3337), or visit its web site at www.nafc.org. If you have experienced pelvic organ prolapse, please complete the NAFC Prolapse Survey for Women online. All women who complete the survey will receive a year NAFC membership for half the original cost, which includes a variety of invaluable bladder, bowel, and pelvic floor health resources.

The sponsor for the media briefing and NAFC newsletter is ETHICON Women’s Health and Urology.

About the National Association For Continence (NAFC)

The National Association For Continence 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 incontinence, voiding dysfunction 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.

• 1 Beck R, Nordstrom L. A 25 year experience with 519 anterior colporrhaphy procedures. Obstet Gynecol. 1991;78:1011-1018.
• 6 Pigne A, Bourcier AP, Scotti: Risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse, in Appell RA, Bourcier AP, LaTorre F (eds): Pelvic floor dysfunction: Investigations and conservative treatment. Rome, Italy, Casa Editrice Scientifica Internazionale, 1999, pp 27-34
• 7 Aanestad O, Flink R: Urinary stress incontinence. A urodynamic and quantitative electromyographic study of the perineal muscles. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 78:245-253, 1999
• 8 Hale DS, Benson JT, Brubaker L, et al: Histologic analysis of needle biopsy of urethral sphincter from women with normal and stress incontinence with comparison of electromyographic findings. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 180:342-348, 1999