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Research 

 

Women

Every year in the U.S., the total direct and indirect medical costs of endometriosis, hsyterectomies, fibroids, and overactive bladder exceed 100 billion dollars.1, 2, 3, 4

1 in 7

American women experiences chronic pelvic pain5

1 in 3

American women has at least one pelvic health disorder6

7 years

the average time it takes for a woman to be correctly diagnosed with endometriosis7

Girls+

Every year in the U.S., more than 11 million Girls+ begin their pelvic health journey with the onset of their first period.9, 10

1 in 4

girls 14-19 has HPV, 2 in 5 if under the poverty line11

> 30%

of women in the U.S. are diagnosed with a urinary tract infection before age 2412

1 in 3

girls with primary dysmenorrhea misses school at least once per cycle, putting her at an educational disadvantage13

Pelvic health disorders can often be managed and improved with education15

Research suggests behavioral change requires “sufficient capability”, meaning patients need both awareness of and knowledge about, potential pelvic health complications.16

Barriers to Care

Belief that it's a normal part of being a woman, having a baby, or getting older

Belief that nothing can be done

Embarrassment

Not prioritizing self-care

Not knowing from whom to seek care

Lack of time

Fear of cost

Making mom the driver of her family’s pelvic health now, can elevate her family’s quality of life over generations.

The cycle of pelvic health events is perpetuated through generations of grown ups and youths

1 Simoens, S, et al. (2007). Endometriosis: Cost estimates and methodological perspective. Human Reproductive Update, 13(4), 395-404.

2 Bonafede MM. et al. (2015). Comparison of direct and indirect costs of abnormal uterine bleeding treatment with global endometrial ablation and hysterectomy. Journal of comparative effectiveness research. 4(2):115-22. 

3 Zimmermann, A, et al. (2012). Prevalence, symptoms and management of uterine fibroids: an international internet-based survey of 21,746 women. BMC Women’s Health, 12(6).

4 Ganz, M. L. et al. (2010). Economic costs of overactive bladder in the United States. Urology, 75(3), 526-532.

5 Mathias, S. D. et al (1996). Chronic pelvic pain: prevalence, health-related quality of life, and economic correlates. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 87(3), 321-327.

6 Lawrence, J. M. et al. (2008). Prevalence and co-occurrence of pelvic floor disorders in community-dwelling women. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 111(3), 678-685.

7 Hadfield, R. et al.. (1996). Delay in the diagnosis of endometriosis: a survey of women from the USA and the UK. Human Reproduction, 11(4), 878-880.

8 Romão, A. P. M. S., et al. (2009). High levels of anxiety and depression have a negative effect on quality of life of women with chronic pelvic pain. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 63: 707–711.

9 Cabrera, S. M. et al. (2014). Age of thelarche and menarche in contemporary US females: a cross-sectional analysis. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM, 27(0), 47–51.

10 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Estimates of the population of the United States by single years of age, color, and sex.

11 Dunne, E. F. et al. (2007). Prevalence of HPV infection among females in the United States. Jama, 297(8), 813-819.

12 Griebling, T. L. (2005). Urologic diseases in America project: Trends in resource use for urinary tract infections in women. The Journal of Urology, 173(4), 1281-1287.

13 Vincenzo De Sanctis, M. D. et al. (2015). Primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents: prevalence, impact and recent knowledge. Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews (PER), 13(2).

14 Gonzalez, NL, et al. (2016). Douching, Talc Use, and Risk of Ovarian Cancer. Epidemiology, 27(6):797-802.

15 Jennifer, M. Hebert-Beirne. (2017). A Pelvic Health Curriculum in School Settings: The Effect on Adolescent Females’ Knowledge. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 30(2):188-192.

16 Hill, AM, et al. (2017). Pregnant Women’s awareness, knowledge and beliefs about pelvic floor muscles: a cross-sectional survey. International Urogynecology Journal, 28: 1557-1565.