About PFDN

The Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) is a research network created to study pelvic floor disorders and provide evidence-based answers for women and health care providers about treatment options for these conditions. The PFDN started in 2001 and is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

A quarter of all adult women in the United States report having at least one pelvic floor disorder, including urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.* These conditions can negatively impact a woman's quality of life, including her sexual function and her ability to live daily life free from symptoms and worry about embarrassing accidents.

*Wu JM, Vaughan CP, Goode PS, Redden DT, Burgio KL,Richter HE, Markland AD. Prevalence and trends of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in U.S. women. Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jan;123(1):141-148. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000057. PMID: 24463674; PMCID: PMC3970401.