Hello
We're really pleased to say that a couple of years after we started to make a huge fuss about the impacts of incontinence and birth injuries on women's lives, the NHS in England has just announced it's opening a series of specialist Pelvic Health clinics to give better care to women suffering from pain, incontinence and other pelvic floor issues.
In our survey, more than one-third of mothers said sex is uncomfortable some months or years after giving birth, and 42% had continence or pelvic floor problems.
The clinics will initially be available at 14 trial centres serving around 175,000 women, and by March 2024 they will be rolled out to every woman in England.
In our survey the vast majority of women who had sexual problems or pelvic dysfunction said they'd never sought medical help, or had been brushed off when they mentioned it to an HCP. These clinics will include a self-referral pathway so that women can approach them directly for an appointment, without having to go through a GP.
We're really pleased that the NHS in England has taken this step and recognised what a massive issue this is for many women. Would love to hear your thoughts - and if you do use one of the new clinics and feel like telling us how it went, we'd love to hear from you.
Thanks
MNHQ