Pelvic floor disorders in women in rural Ethiopia

Incontinence of urine and prolapse (dropping) of the womb are common conditions affecting women in middle age. Treatment is with pelvic muscle training for both these problems, supervised by a physiotherapist. The research team have been working in Ethiopia where these conditions are much more common than in Europe or the USA, but where women have no access to treatment because there are few trained staff, based in only a few larger towns. Prof Tincello and his team will interview patients, their families and healthcare workers to gain important insights into the challenges of providing treatment. They will also explore what women and their communities understand by prolapse and develop relevant information materials for education. Thirdly they will run a priority setting partnership where women, their families and healthcare staff will agree the "top 10" treatment questions to guide future research into these conditions in low and middle income countries.