Summer Series: Addressing Disparities in Pelvic Floor Health and Access to Care

This episode of the Summer Series of Talking O&G: A RANZCOG Podcast features Professor Ranee Thakar presenting on “Addressing Disparities in Pelvic Floor Health and Access to Care” at the RANZCOG Annual Scientific Meeting 2025.

Professor Thakar is a distinguished consultant obstetrician and urogynaecologist at Croydon University Hospital and an honorary senior lecturer at St George’s University of London. Between 2022-2025, she made history as the first woman of colour and third female President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). As President of the International Urogynaecological Association (IUGA) (2019-2020), she played a pivotal role in advancing urogynaecological care worldwide.

A hidden epidemic, pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects one in three women worldwide. Having been neglected in global health agendas, the crisis is exacerbated in low and middle-income countries that have limited surgical and physiotherapy capacity. Professor Thakar examines the impacts of a range of barriers to care, including patient-level sociocultural, healthcare system, and economic and logistic barriers. She outlines strategies to improve care such as normalising and destigmatising PFD, improving education, and promoting research and data collection.

Professor Thakar encourages all O&Gs to advocate for improved pelvic floor health in their everyday practice. She highlights that pelvic floor health is not optional – it is a matter of equity, dignity, and human rights.

The Summer Series is being released in video format to accommodate the visual elements of the presentations.

🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Squeezy App

• Breaking the Taboo with Theo Clarke Podcast

📝 Relevant RANZCOG resources:

• Pelvic Floor Health - RANZCOG

📌 RANZCOG members can listen to this episode and answer self-reflective questions to claim CPD hours towards their AHPRA and MCNZ mandated CAPE requirements as an Addressing Health Inequities activity. Submit CPD at: https://shorturl.at/iq733

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RANZCOG acknowledges the need for more inclusive terminology for gender diversity.

In this podcast we aim to use inclusive language, and any use of the term “women” should be interpreted to include all people requiring gynaecological and obstetric care.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect the official position of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).