Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs) Resources

• The American Academy of Family Physicians’ Vaginal Pessary fact sheet contains answers to frequently asked questions about vaginal pessaries.
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides information about pelvic support problems .
• The American Urogynecologic Society provides several resources related to PFDs:
  • Mesh Information for Patients with Pelvic Floor Disorders
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery
  • What Are Pelvic Floor Disorders?
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides several fact sheets on PFDs:
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  • Stress Urinary Incontinence
  • Urogynecologic Surgical Mesh Implants
• The National Association for Continence provides fact sheets and resources for talking to healthcare professionals:
  • Talking to Your Doctor
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases provides tools and information related to incontinence:
  • Daily Bladder Diary (PDF 488 KB)
  • Kegel Exercises
  • Bladder Control Problems
  • Bowel Control Problems
• Voices for PFD is a consumer information website and online patient community sponsored by the American Urogynecologic Society Foundation.
  • NICHD grantees at the University of Utah worked with the American Urogynecology Society to create Information for New Moms , a series of videos and educational information about changes to pelvic floor health that new moms may experience. The information is available in English and Spanish.
  • Find a Provider links women to urogynecologists in their areas.
  • Talking With Your Doctor (PDF 299 KB) is a printable sheet that women can bring to an appointment to help discuss their medical history and any symptoms they may be having.
• The National Association for Continence provides a Doctor Finder service for finding healthcare providers who treat incontinence.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

• Gynecologic Health and Disease Research at NICHD: A Scientific Vision (PDF 1.55 MB)
  The report describes research future directions of the NICHD Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch, including research on PFDs.
• Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) 
  NICHD established the PFDN in 2001 to encourage collaborative research on PFDs and to improve patient care. The PFDN includes a data coordinating center and eight clinical centers located at universities and medical centers across the United States.
• Nonsurgical Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Adult Women: A Systematic Review Update
  This Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality review assesses the clinical efficacy and comparative effectiveness of pharmacological and nonsurgical treatments for urinary incontinence.
• NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Final Panel Statement: Prevention of Fecal and Urinary Incontinence in Adults, NIH State-of-the-Science Consensus Statement (2007)
  The NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Final Panel Statement: Prevention of Fecal and Urinary Incontinence in Adults presents healthcare providers, patients, and the general public with a responsible assessment of available data on prevention of fecal and urinary incontinence in adults. This link is included for reference only.
• The American Urogynecologic Society
  The American Urogynecologic Society is dedicated to research and education in urogynecology and the detection, prevention, and treatment of female lower urinary tract disorders and PFDs.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.