Understanding women’s pelvic health on International Day of Action for Women’s Health

This International Day of Action for Women’s Health highlights the urgent need for comprehensive women’s healthcare education. The statistics reveal significant gaps in women’s pelvic health, with conditions affecting confidence, mobility, mental health and quality of life. Physiopedia and Physiopedia Plus (Plus) provide essential resources to ensure rehabilitation professionals can deliver evidence-based, compassionate care that upholds every woman’s right to health.

Today marks the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, uniting voices globally under the theme “In Solidarity We Resist: Our Fight, Our Right!” This call to action resonates deeply within rehabilitation practice, where statistics reveal significant gaps in women’s healthcare. One in three women live with urinary incontinence, one in eight experience faecal incontinence, and at least 50 percent of women over 50 have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse. These conditions can affect women’s confidence, self-image, mobility and strength, mental, emotional and physical health, participation in activities of daily living, work, hobbies, social activities, sexual health and relationships.

Women worldwide experience bias and healthcare barriers, being more likely to have concerns dismissed or minimised. The Physiopedia Overview and Introduction to Women’s Pelvic Health page provides comprehensive foundational knowledge addressing these complex presentations. For a deeper understanding, Plus courses provide essential advanced training for these multifaceted needs. The Women’s Pelvic Health Programme offers comprehensive understanding of current women’s health landscapes, anatomy, physiology, assessment and treatment approaches, addressing the impact of childbirtth on pelvic floor function and postpartum considerations. Vital Breastfeeding Questions Every Healthcare Provider Should be Able to Answer equips professionals to provide accurate guidance during critical early weeks. The Introduction to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) course addresses systemic barriers preventing marginalised populations from accessing healthcare services, essential when 10 to 15 percent of women live with chronic pelvic pain often exacerbated by inequities.

Effective women’s pelvic health physiotherapy requires holistic biopsychosocial-spiritual frameworks, trauma-informed approaches, evidence-based practice, client-centred care, preventative perspectives, collaborative treatment, educational approaches, advocacy, creative clinical thinking and humility.

As we mark this International Day of Action for Women’s Health, comprehensive pelvic health education for rehabilitation professionals represents resistance against healthcare inequities. Through evidence-based practice, we work in solidarity ensuring every woman receives respectful, informed care regardless of geography, economics or social barriers.