One in three women struggle to control their bladder three months after giving birth, according to new research from Griffith University that aims to help fill the void of national data on women’s pelvic health.
The two-year study asked 2,800 women on the Gold Coast about their symptoms following childbirth.
Offering fresh insights, the Griffith University study reveals that, three months after giving birth, one in 10 women suffer faecal incontinence and one in two experience pain with sex.
Childbirth can cause injury to the pelvic floor– a group of muscles that run from the public bone to the tailbone, and between the sit-bones, lining the base of the pelvis.
According to Mischa Bongers, from CQUniversity Australia, urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse are common pelvic floor complaints for women of all ages.
The Continence Foundation of Australia says around 1 in 4 adult Australians are affected by incontinence, with women making up 80 per cent of those affected– many of whom experience the problems after childbirth and menopause.
Olympian and women’s health expert Dr Jana Pittman dealt with the problem of incontinence for many years before sharing her story publicly. Even as an elite athlete who was competing with the condition, Dr Pittman felt the taboo and stigma hold her back from speaking out until she realised how many other women related to her struggle.
“We need to talk about incontinence unashamedly! Get help yourself, see a women’s health physio or doctor. Then share your story! By speaking openly, the more women realise how common it is, the more women will seek the help they need,” Dr Pittman told Women’s Agenda.
One of the most effective ways to help control incontinence, according to the Continence Foundation, is by doing pelvic floor exercises, which can be discreetly incorporated into an everyday habit.
Another resource women can explore is Go Against the Flow, a health awareness initiative working to empower those who experience bladder incontinence while sneezing, coughing or exercising.
Earlier this year, Australia’s first endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics opened as well, with government officials acknowledging the lack of support for the debilitating conditions many women face.
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney said: “The recognition of endometriosis and pelvic pain as serious conditions has been a long and hard-fought battle from fierce advocates in the sector and in our communities.”
Pelvic pain costs Australia more than $6 billion annually, according to the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia.
Brisbane-based pelvic health physiotherapist Sue Croft has written on the subject for Women’s Agenda, saying “the consistent feature surrounding pelvic floor dysfunction over time is the silence– mostly due to the private areas that are affected, the fact that women are affected in higher numbers and the negative narratives consistent with shame, disgust and uncleanliness surrounding pelvic health”.
As for this new data from Griffith University, Dr Valerie Slavin, a midwifery researcher who led the project, told the ABC that this area of women’s health is “really neglected”.
Slavin said this is because the health system doesn’t ask women about their symptoms to address pelvic injury and adds that women will continue to suffer until more national data is collected on the problem.