News
As a Continence Nurse Consultant in a Perth hospital, Kerry Murphy’s job is educating parents and teaching children what is not normal when it comes to bladder and bowel symptoms. “A lot of issues are preventable,” says Kerry. “But your children might not tell you about their toilet problems. They might even deny them.
If you are concerned about your child’s toilet habits and think they may be suffering from constipation, speak to your GP to ensure there are no underlying health conditions that could be causing it. Once medical conditions are ruled out, there are four main areas to focus on.
“If you’re thinking about starting the toilet training process, there are a few things to consider first,” says Janine Armocida from the National Continence Helpline. “Everyone has a different opinion about when and how you should toilet train your child.
A New Era of Awareness and Support
MEDIA RELEASE
10 February 2025
In this women’s health edition, we want to create a safe space for women to understand their own body and seek help should they need it. We talk to Libby Oldfield, a Specialist Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist for some top tips on how to keep your pelvic floor healthy and risk factors to watch out for which are relevant to women of all ages and stages of life.
Taking the first steps
The Deloitte ‘Economic Cost of Incontinence in Australia’ report estimates that 4.8 million women experienced some level of urinary and/or faecal incontinence in 2023, with women 2x more likely than men to have incontinence.
Twelve years ago, Bronwyn Ford underwent major surgery, including inserting pelvic mesh and a hysterectomy, to help relieve symptoms of severe pelvic organ prolapse. She has since experienced several other health issues including surgery and treatment for non-invasive breast cancer, osteoporosis, pre-diabetes, and acute onset rheumatoid arthritis. “The thing that has affected my life the most is the prolapse and continence issues—they have an everyday impact, but it has made me much more resilient.
Welcome to the Spring edition of Bridge Magazine, which is focused on women’s health. Evidence has shown being a woman is one of the biggest risk factors for experiencing incontinence, so women’s health is a central part of what we do here at the Continence Foundation of Australia.
When Stefania Little was born in the 1990s in Western Australia, Hirschsprung’s Disease was mainly thought to affect males and people with Down Syndrome. She was the first female patient her doctor had treated with the disease.
We talk to Sarah White, CEO of Jean Hailes Women’s Health, on all things menopause. Discussing menopause symptoms openly with your family, friends, and health care providers helps to remove stigma and normalise the menopausal transition. We want all women to feel encouraged to seek support from a health professional if they are struggling with menopause symptoms.
Dr Dinara Markhabullina
Dr Dinara Markhabullina, a passionate advocate for women's health and family medicine, was born and raised in Uzbekistan. In 2006, she graduated from Kazan State Medical University (Russia) with outstanding academic achievements, earning a Doctor of Medicine degree with distinction.
Welcome to the winter edition of the Bridge Magazine where we celebrate and acknowledge World Continence Week 2024, a global initiative intended to raise awareness of bladder and bowel control issues, chronic pelvic pain and other conditions which impact greatly on the lives of patients, families and carers. This year, the Continence Foundation of Australia acknowledges World Continence Week through the theme of ‘Let’s Talk.’
How we’re reaching multicultural communities to talk about incontinence
The Foundation has many resources available in different languages to support those from multicultural backgrounds. To ensure these continence resources are effective in reaching people from these communities, The Foundation conducted a 'needs analysis’, which was funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care under the National Continence Program.
Mrs Rebecca Khan has been working as an Occupational Therapist (OT) since 2001 having witnessed first-hand the significant need in the community for toileting skill development services. Mrs Khan was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2003 and had a total proctocolectomy (a shortened gut) following surgical complications with post-op infections.
The Continence Foundation of Australia’s National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) is a free and confidential service staffed by Nurse Continence Specialists who can provide information, advice and support to anyone living in Australia who is impacted by incontinence.
Breaking down health barriers in culturally diverse communities
*Lakshmi’s story
Lakshmi, who moved to Australia from India in the 1970s when she was just eight years old, says that many women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds often don’t seek help for their incontinence. “That’s why I wanted to share this story because if it inspires anyone to seek assistance, then I feel it's been worth it.
Running from June 17-23, World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual initiative devised and managed by the World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems (WFIPP), with the endorsement and support of the International Continence Society (ICS), European Association of Urology (EAU) and the Ibero-American Society of Neurourology and Urogynaecology (SINUG).
It is a global initiative intended to raise awareness of bladder and bowel control issues, chronic pelvic pain and other debilitating conditions which impact greatly on the lives of patients, families and carers.
A change in perspective can change your life
Mother of five Puspa Sherlock looks at life with incontinence through a different lens, finding that a change in perspective can change your life for the better.
Maria was born in Kenya and grew up in the Seychelles. Maria spent many years living with her grandparents in the Seychelles, separated from her parents while they stayed in Kenya. In 1968, Maria then migrated to Australia with her family.