June is Prolapse Awareness Month

According to a study that was conducted from 1990-2019, globally 46% of women have pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with 12.5% of the population being symptomatic. So what is POP?
POP is a condition where a woman’s internal organs begin to move downward and out of place. Many women are asymptomatic and don’t even realize that they have a prolapse. Prolapse severity is measured in 5 stages:

• Stage 0 – no prolapse is demonstrated during a physical exam.
• Stage 1 – the lowest part of your prolapse is more than 1 cm above your hymenal ring.
• Stage 2 – the lowest part of your prolapse is within 1 cm on either side of your hymenal ring.
• Stage 3 – the lowest part of the prolapse is more than 1 cm below the hymen but the vagina has not completely prolapsed.
• Stage 4 – the vagina is completely prolapsed outwards.
  

Conditions that can increase the chance of prolapse include: vaginal birth, particularly if forceps or a vacuum were needed to assist in delivery, prolonged constipation, obesity, menopause, and pelvic surgery. There are many types of prolapse: cystocele (bladder),  rectocele (rectum), enterocele (small bowel), uterine (urethra), and vaginal vault (vagina). Symptoms of a prolapse may include incontinence, general pelvic pain, painful sex, pelvic congestion, and lower back pain.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, the more we know the more we can empower and care for ourselves.
​- Machelle