Women with pelvic floor dysfunction including low urinary tract disease and pelvic organ prolapsed have been increasing in the last 15 years.
Urogynecology is a branch of medical and surgical science that treats urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse , and abnormalities of the bladder and bowel as well as aspects of sexual life in adult women, with a basic goal of improving the quality of life.
Most countries of Asia-pacific region have been less exposed to the areas of urogynecology. Since 2002, owing to economic growth, the quality of life has increased. More and more women are aware of the fact that these problems are treatable and curable.
The Asia-Pacific Urogynecology Association (APUGA) was established in 2014. The first annual meeting was conducted in Taiwan with participations from Japan, People’s republic of China, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.
It offers a forum for those members who are interested in this field to share experience with one another. Also, members in this association are linked with strong international activities to share exchanging programs and academic activities to promote training for both trainers and trainees.
As we know, urogynecology results in quality of life, and this association is aimed to allocate more resources to research, prevention, and management in this area. Some of the newly developed techniques or the controversial delimma in the clinical practice require collaborative studies, and, in this way, more data can be collected to document its efficacy.
It is a unsolved problem in traditional Asia-Pacific gynecology caring system that few women with pelvic floor dysfunction seek medical care, although it causes tremendous distress and eventually leads to depression or isolated from the social activities. I has become as more serious problem to these women than diabetes.
It is our task to create awareness in women, their families, and people around them that pelvic floor dysfunction requires medical care.