Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Oct;27(5):380-4.
doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000200.

Epidemiological trends and future care needs for pelvic floor disorders

Alexis A Dieter  1 , Maggie F Wilkins, Jennifer M Wu
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiological trends and future care needs for pelvic floor disorders

Alexis A Dieter et al. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose of review: We sought to provide a review of the recent literature regarding the prevalence and epidemiological trends in pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) including pelvic organ prolapse (POP), urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence. We also examined the current trends in surgical treatment for these disorders and discuss future care needs.

Recent findings: Approximately, one quarter of all women suffer from at least one or more PFDs. Urinary incontinence represents the most common PFD with an estimated prevalence of 15-17%, whereas fecal incontinence affects, approximately, 9% of adult women. POP is more difficult to assess with prevalence estimates ranging from 3 to 8%. Surgery for PFDs is common as 20% of women undergo stress urinary incontinence or POP surgery over their lifetime. As the aging population grows, the number of women with PFDs will increase substantially and the demand for care for these disorders will continue to grow through the year 2050.

Summary: PFDs are a significant public health issue and they negatively impact the lives of millions of adult women. The projected increase in the number of women affected by PFDs over the next 40 years will create increased demand for providers properly trained in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Risks of SUI and POP surgery
Cumulative incidence, or lifetime risk, of surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), or SUI or POP surgery from age 18 years through age 84 years. The width of the line represents the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the cumulative incidence at each age. The cumulative incidence (95% CI) by age 80 years per 1,000 women was 200.1 (95% CI 198.7–201.5) for SUI or POP, 135.9 (95% CI 134.8–137.1) for SUI only, and 125.6 (95% CI 124.4–126.7) for POP only.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Nygaard I, Barber MD, Burgio KL, et al. Prevalence of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in US women. Jama. 2008;300(11):1311–6. Epub 2008/09/19. • This is a landmark study reporting national prevalence of PFDs in the United States. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wu JM, Vaughan CP, Goode PS, et al. Prevalence and trends of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in U.S. women. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2014;123(1):141–8. Epub 2014/01/28. • This study used NHANES data to estimate prevalence and trends of PFDs from 2005 to 2010. Although there was no statistical trend, the significance of PFDs as a public health issue was further demonstrated, with one in four women reporting at least one disorder. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gyhagen M, Akervall S, Milsom I. Clustering of pelvic floor disorders 20 years after one vaginal or one cesarean birth. International urogynecology journal. 2015 Epub 2015/02/25. - PubMed
    1. Coyne KS, Sexton CC, Bell JA, et al. The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and overactive bladder (OAB) by racial/ethnic group and age: results from OAB-POLL. Neurourology and urodynamics. 2013;32(3):230–7. Epub 2012/08/01. - PubMed
    1. Coyne KS, Sexton CC, Vats V, et al. National community prevalence of overactive bladder in the United States stratified by sex and age. Urology. 2011;77(5):1081–7. Epub 2011/01/25. - PubMed

Publication types