The female pelvic floor is not often a source of conversation but, for the 1200 urogynaecologists from all over the world who will be meeting in Cape Town in August, it is an area to which they have devoted their working lives.
“There is a huge burden of disease among women in Africa terms of incontinence due to damage of the pelvic floor, especially during unsupervised childbirth,” said Dr Peter de Jong, a Cape Town urogynaecologist who is the Africa representative on the board of the International Urogynaecological Association (IUGA) and one of the organisers of the conference.
“Women are being crippled, but there is little being done about it,” he said. “In most countries in Africa if there are one or two urogynaecological specialists that is a lot. That is why it is so important that this conference is being held in Africa for the first time.”
The female pelvic floor is a complex combination of muscles and ligaments that does far more than just support the pelvic organs. Women are predisposed to pelvic organ prolapse and faecal and urinary incontinence and this is exacerbated by childbirth, menopause and ageing.
“If men got pregnant, things would be different,” was De Jong’s wry comment. “But female problems are not prioritised in developing countries right now, and these problems are just going untreated. We are hoping that by highlighting the issue at a major international conference like IUGA 2016, we will begin to see the political will that is needed for the change to happen.”
Change happens as the general public becomes more aware of the issues, so it is with this in mind that IUGA2016 will also play host to a special Women’s Forum which will be open to the public. Admission will be free. This event, which will be held on Monday August 1, the day before the congress opens, will see four top urogynaecological specialists discussing the following topics:
Does caesarean delivery protect your pelvic floor?
Does vaginal birth cause sexual problems?
Surgery for prolapse and urinary leakage; and
Menopause and bladder function.
Another of the highlights of IUGA2016 will be the live surgery which will be conducted at Groote Schuur by world experts.
“There will be two theatres running concurrently and the operations will be screened live to conference delegates in the Groote Schuur auditoriums,” De Jong said. “The audience will be able to communicate with the surgeons as the procedures are being done.”
The strong educational theme that runs through IUGA2016 will be further enhanced by ‘Meet the Expert’ and ‘Stump the Professor’ as well as a series of workshops.
IUGA2016 will be held at the CTICC on August 2 – 6. For more information, visit http://www.iugameeting.org/
