Surveys about the health status of the population are regularly carried out by concerned agencies. Specific surveys, targeted at specific groups are also conducted at regular intervals across the world. Some statistics are presented at the end of the surveys. These statistical figures reflect the general status of a specified group of people, about a certain malady. A survey of women was recently conducted about health issues faced by them. This survey had a conjunction to insurance sector also. So the findings were important for groups, women as well as insurance companies, as also to government health agencies and policy makers. The surveys very much serve the purpose of injecting periodical churns in thinking process of public at large as well as think tanks in all related establishments.
The latest study has brought out an alarming reality, projecting that 20 % of the female population, as covered in the survey, will or need to undergo pelvic surgeries. The percentage figure was just the half at about 11 % in earlier survey conducted a few years back. The import of the finding cannot be lost. It has made everybody sit tight and pay enough attention at the issues at hand. Pelvic organ prolapse is one point of concern for women in advanced age. Stress urinary incontinence surgery is another major contributing factor to the rise in the figures. The proportion of these two factors is nearly the same. The risk of prolapsed surgery was found to have increased in age group of 70 to 74 years.
The overall increase in pelvic surgeries is increasing public health expenditures, which should concern every right thinking person. Due attention must be given to enlighten people about ways to prevent such occurrences. Effectiveness of long term interventions of a surgical nature also needs to be discussed. It is understood that there were reports that women have sometimes not disclosed their actual status on stress urinary incontinence. The probable reason was a general feeling of shyness in disclosing something that they feel is humiliating. If such a possibility exists, then the real percentage figures could have gone further up. This has an active impact on quality of life. Hence such surveys may need correction in the right direction to project the actual reality.
The survey could not exactly ascertain the records of previous surgeries. Here also the corrections need to be incorporated to get a clearer picture. Absence of study data can sometimes put the discourse on a wrong track. More women need to be explained the need of providing actual status, rather than extrapolating abstract data. Women do face these surgeries with some reservations about the efficacy of the procedures. More enlightenment on this aspect is needed.
Greater awareness among affected people, women in this case, needs to be created. This will go a long way in reducing the gray area. Information in this regard must reach the targeted group through dedicated volunteers to achieve higher success rate. Pelvic organ prolapse also needs to be tackled at a different level. The thinking that a surgery to overcome this problem will certainly improve the quality of life and needs to be emphasized and explained. Government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and medical counselors, all are required to come together for achieving the object of good health for everybody. Finally, spending on these activities need boost to bring in the system to track which seems to have gone little astray.
