Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support - APOPS

04/10/2026

TGIF

04/10/2026

For thousands of years, women have kept their lips zipped when it comes to embarrassing va**nal and pelvic health symptoms. Pelvic exams should include conversations about common conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse that include symptoms such as incontinence, chronic constipation, and pain with intimacy.

04/08/2026

And impacts to intimacy become impacts to self-esteem...

04/08/2026

184 countries, a whisper short of 31,000 following. Been a while since I've checked the age demo of our ladies. Barely moved a tad. Largest demo of women with is 35-44.

I find it interesting that while our largest percentage of women hale from the US, the 2nd largest group is social medicine countries with UK leading the engagement. APOPS is proud to unite in the interest of pelvic health awareness with our sisters around the globe!

04/07/2026

Menopause is the 2nd leading cause of .

I am delighted to see an article on POP included in AARP Foundation edu efforts. While there are countless women younger than AARP age (50+) who experience POP, the reach and scope of AARPs education and policy efforts are incredible.

It is imperative every avenue of POP impact to women's quality of life comes to the surface to educate women about the physical, emotional, social, sexual, fitness, and employment ramifications. When the silo walls are torn down, and advocacy, healthcare, academia, research, industry, and policy work side-by-side to advance healthcare awareness, practice, and policy, patients benefit.

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/pelvic-organ-prolapse/

Pelvic organ prolapse becomes more common with age, yet many women are never told they have it until symptoms like a va**nal bulge or pressure become alarming

04/06/2026

Are POP symptoms recognized or screened for in pelvic cancer patients?

Cancer in the pelvic cavity is a big deal. Ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, re**al cancer, or bladder cancer treatments impact far beyond a single organ. The pelvic floor and surrounding tissues can be decimated.

At the end of every day, medical treatments are all about maintaining quality-of-life whether we are talking life-threatening conditions or symptom control. Too often pelvic cancer studies give little energy to navigation of side-effect ramifications of radiation therapies. Urinary incontinence and overactive bladder symptoms are reported in studies and make sense, but it is equally important to assess for all pelvic floor symptoms including va**nal tissue bulge, f***l leakage, atrophy, and impact to intimacy alongside emotional ramifications. Eradicating cancer is a big deal, but POP symptoms can reduce long-term quality-of-life radically. There is no one-and-done angle in pelvic health.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00192-026-06557-z

04/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/sherrie.palm/videos/2624100157983630

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04/02/2026

Women who use wheelchairs are rarely a part of studies, one of the many blind spots in the POP space.

These women can experience complex, multi-system pelvic floor disorders driven by neurologic and biomechanical factors, yet they remain largely excluded from pelvic health research, clinical guidelines, and device innovation.

We have so much more work to do.

04/01/2026

Zero doubt perineal tears need to be appropriately assessed and repaired properly post birthing. Are cases of Obstetric a**l sphincter injuries (OASIS) increasing or are medical systems getting better at catching and coding them properly? This is such an important quality of life concern for women birthing that rarely sees the light of day.

https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/62/3/433

03/31/2026

There's nothing normal about internal organs bulging out of the va**na. Pelvic organ prolapse may reduce to some degree a couple months post childbirth but it does not "heal itself".

We can't excel in any field of practice unless we have access to appropriate and sufficient training.

Adjusting pelvic organ prolapse curriculum provided within the diagnostic fields of practice servicing routine pelvic exams is critical to enable early POP diagnosis and referral to subspecialists for nonsurgical or surgical treatment. If we aren't teaching POP to those who provide basic screenings, the system is failing to address patient need.

03/30/2026

Every spring my gram visits me from the "other side", spreading wild flowers hither and yon across my walk paths, renewing my faith in her support that women's health is and will continue to move forward. For years, I thought these purple wildflower bloom were violets. I was wrong.

Siberian Squill is more than just a pretty flower; it embodies renewal and hope. Studies show that the color purple is deeply connected to emotions, intuition, and physical reactions. I now understand why I am so pulled toward their beauty given the needs of the women APOPS serves.

Some days I need a recharge; it's been a long 16 years banging the drum. Wandering across this whisper of spring has recharged my battery.