'Covid-19, pelvic health, and women's voices: a descriptive study'
EVB Sport and Core have some great news to share with you. The research paper 'Covid-19, pelvic health, and women's voices: a descriptive study' has been published in The Journal of International Continence Society. Since 1971 the International Continence Society ( ICS | International Continence Society) has led multi-disciplinary continence research and education on a worldwide scale through The ICS annual meeting and the ICS Journal.
The organisation has over 3000 members made up of Urologists, Uro-gynaecologists, Physiotherapists, Nurses and Research Scientists with a focus on continence and pelvic floor disorders. Getting your information in front of them in this publication is a real plus when trying to drive change for better therapy.
In 2021 we reached out to our community for insights into how the pandemic was affecting their pelvic health. The highlights of the paper are as follows:
- The lack of female pelvic health services was exposed by the Covid19 Pandemic.
- Postnatal women’s health was a casualty of the Covid19 pandemic.
- Pelvic floor dysfunction can adversely affect mental health through limiting exercise.
- Sexual dysfunction was a feature of recovery from the pandemic.
647 women completed the online survey and it underlines the importance women ascribe to exercise for their pelvic health. The main findings for the paper were taken from the powerful stories the women of our community shared with us and are at the end of the survey.
At EVB Sport and Core we understand that exercise and movement is the best medicine both for the mind and body. We hear on a daily basis from women across the globe how pelvic dysfunction is a barrier to exercise. We are grateful for the EVB community for taking the time to complete the survey. The honesty in sharing these stories has been acknowledged by the practitioners who specialise in these challenges. The time and effort taken to recount how the pandemic has been may be a start in making an impact on how pelvic challenges are treated in the future. Congratulations to everyone who shared.
We want to say a huge thank you to the women in our community for the continued support and to show you that you are driving change in women's health. We are making things better, together.
On another important note for EVB, our colleague and dear friend Dr Milner has now retired from 40 years of medicine, and completed the Pelvic Health project with EVB, the Rotunda and Lourdes’ Hospitals in October 2021. Her vision was to capture women’s experiences of the Pandemic, and the project did that and a whole lot more. To have the work published in the new journal of the International Continence Society in its very first issue- Continence- was beyond their expectations. It brings women’s personal experiences to a worldwide academic audience and shines sorely-needed light on the Cinderella that is Women’s Pelvic Health and its treatment.
On a personal note, Dr Milner states that her career has concluded on a high note: 'I will always treasure the journey with Yvonne and the EVB team and the quest to improve the quality of women’s lives'.
We want to thank Maire for all her support over the years and we wish her well as she embarks on another chapter of her life. She has been a tremendous support since EVB was just an idea back in 2012 and has provided Yvonne with invaluable support and guidance over those years. Maire is a dear friend to us all here in the team and we look forward to hearing what she plans next. No doubt women's health will remain a key focus for her in the future.
Dr Milner's paper Covid 19, pelvic health and womens' voices a descriptive study is linked. #femtech #drivingchange