Pelvic organ prolapse affects around half of all women, yet it is little understood and very rarely discussed. Here is what I found out after my diagnosisWhen I experienced pelvic organ prolapse after giving birth to my daughter in 2019, I had no idea – and neither, seemingly, did my doctors – how much my life was about to change. Every new “surprise” – from not being able to use tampons, to an almost constant cycle of UTIs – felt all the worse for my lack of mental and practical preparation.This shouldn’t be the case: around a half of all women will have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse in their lifetime. There are four types: vaginal, uterine, bladder and rectal, all of which involve one or more pelvic organs descending into the vagina. Often, it creates an internal bulge, but when it is more progressed it can be externally visible too. Prolapse being so varied – and, crucially, understudied – makes for a great proliferation of potential symptoms which are, in my opinion, generally underplayed in healthcare literature. Living with an organ descending into your vagina is frequently described as “uncomfortable”, as though comparable to wearing a too small pair of jeans. The NHS website describes what can be truly debilitating stress urinary incontinence (SUI) as “problems [with] peeing”. What little information is available on prolapse seems designed to remind you that what you’re experiencing is no big deal! But for many of us, that is far from the case. Continue reading...