Pelvic Floor News and Research

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The pelvic floor is a thin but strong sheet of muscle and connective tissue that closes off the pelvic cavity from below. It supports the pelvic organs, which include the urinary bladder, the uterus, cervix and vagina, and the last part of the large bowel (the rectum) in women. In men, it contains the bladder and the rectum.

Liberian women face long waits for urgent fistula surgery

For more than three years, Lorpu has lived with the constant leakage of urine and faeces caused by obstetric fistula, a debilitating childbirth injury.

11 Sep 2026

Lifelong violence against women linked to significantly earlier menopause

The research, published in the journal Maturitas, links trauma experienced to the onset of the menopause up to 20 months earlier and an increase in hot flushes, depression and cardiometabolic health problems.

6 Jul 2026

Exercise during pregnancy links to lower infant BMI at one year

Supervised exercise during pregnancy may lower infant BMI and reduce obesity risk, highlighting the impact of maternal health on early growth trajectories.

4 Jun 2026

Survey finds one in three women suffer silently with pelvic prolapse

Up to half of all women will experience some degree of pelvic organ prolapse in their lifetime. The condition can cause incontinence, constipation and the descent of the bladder or uterus into the vagina.

13 May 2026

Visceral fat strongly linked to urinary incontinence in women

The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, especially visceral fat (fat that accumulates between organs), significantly increases the risk of stress urinary incontinence in women.

17 Apr 2026

Misdiagnosed Parkinson's patient regains life after NPH treatment

At age 66, Richard "Dick" Nash first suspected something might be wrong when he participated in a Dallas walk for juvenile diabetes in honor of his granddaughter.

26 Feb 2026

$AGA's new update urges caution before surgical treatment of refractory constipation$

AGA's new update urges caution before surgical treatment of refractory constipation

A new update from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is calling for greater caution before surgery is considered for patients with refractory constipation, a severe, chronic form of constipation that does not respond to standard treatments.

7 Jan 2026

Many women suffer in silence from treatable pelvic floor conditions

Many women assume pelvic floor health issues are simply their fate—part of having vaginal deliveries, getting older, gaining weight or entering menopause. Perhaps they have watched their mothers and grandmothers live with symptoms, such as urinary incontinence and pain.

17 Dec 2025

Development of a polygenic risk score for pelvic organ prolapse in Chinese women

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a condition whose development is shaped by both genetic and clinical risk factors, significantly impairs women's quality of life, yet genetic insights into non-European populations and comprehensive risk models that integrate genetic and clinical data remain insufficiently explored.

24 Nov 2025

Mediterranean-style diets improve pelvic floor function and sexual health, review finds

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 studies reveals that healthy, anti-inflammatory dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean and DASH diets, are linked to improved sexual function and reduced incontinence symptoms in pelvic floor dysfunction. However, prospective evidence for incontinence improvement remains limited, suggesting that benefits may be mediated by metabolic and inflammatory pathways, especially in individuals with obesity or metabolic syndrome.

19 Oct 2025

Practical period education boosts confidence and reduces stigma for adolescents

Practical information on managing periods can help better prepare adolescents for the changes taking place in their bodies during menstruation, according to research presented during the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center Sept. 26-30.

26 Sep 2025

Why smartphone use on the toilet may increase hemorrhoid risk

Adults using smartphones on the toilet spent significantly more time seated and had 46% higher odds of hemorrhoids on colonoscopy. The cross-sectional study suggests prolonged sitting, not straining, may be the key driver of hemorrhoid risk.

8 Sep 2025

Regenerative strategy offers hope for women with pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disorder that primarily affects older women who have experienced multiple vaginal childbirths.

27 Aug 2025

Body composition associated with pelvic floor disorder symptoms in middle-aged women

According to a recent study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, body composition is associated with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders in middle-aged women.

19 Jun 2025

Telehealth matches in-person therapy for treating women with postpartum incontinence

Women who experience urinary incontinence after giving birth may get just as much relief from telehealth as they do from physical therapy, a new UC San Francisco study has found.

21 Apr 2025

New guidelines recommend 2 hours of weekly exercise for postpartum women

New mums should be strongly encouraged to begin clocking up at least two hours of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity such as brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercises each week in the first three months after birth, when physically able, to improve health and well-being, say experts in a new guideline published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

26 Mar 2025