Exploring the Unspoken: Women’s Experiencing Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction through a Survey

Abstract

Background: Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) caused by imbalances in pelvic floor muscles affects the urinary, bowel, and pelvic systems. The symptoms related to PFD are often overlooked. Identifying the prevalence is the first step in making a definitive diagnosis, thereby facilitating treatment and preventing complications. This study aimed to find the prevalence of symptoms related to PFD in non-pregnant women residing in Sangli city.
Methods: A cross-sectional house-to-house survey was conducted in which 400 non-pregnant women aged 20 years or older residing in Sangli city were interviewed via a Google Form over 6 months. The form consisted of questions on symptoms related to urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction. Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 25). The statistical tests used were frequency distributions and percentages for demographic characteristics, the prevalence of PFD, Bladder Symptoms, Bowel Symptoms, and Sexual Symptoms, and the Chi-square test to assess the association between demographic characteristics and symptoms.
Results: The overall prevalence of PFD was 21.46%. Prevalence rate of urinary symptoms was 25.6%, bowel symptoms was 25.4%, and Sexual symptoms was 13.4%. Significant associations (p<0.05) between pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and demographic/medical factors were found.
Conclusion: The prevalence of symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction is high, which highlights the need for definitive diagnosis and its treatment. Awareness and educational programs can be held so that women identify their symptoms at an early stage, get them diagnosed, and prevent further complications.