‘Culture of silence keeps women from reporting gynaecological problems’

Dr Amarjeet Singh of School of Public Health,PGIMER said,“During our research,we have come across over 1,000 women who have been silently suffering from UI. I have treated women from 25-75 years of age for the problem.”

“Women continue to suffer medical problems like incontinence silently as part of the ‘culture of silence’. They do not vocalise their symptoms and are too shy to report problems related to their private parts to a doctor,” he added.

Further,a study conducted by PGIMER faculty also blames hospitals of being biased against women. The study questions why behavior therapy,the first line of treatment for urinary incontinence has been ignored in hospitals.

Dr Amarjeet added,“Urinary incontinence is a largely neglected problem despite the fact that it is treatable and curable. The problem can be easily cured through simple pelvic

floor exercises,but women are not being made aware

by doctors.”

Blaming hospitals for not promoting behavior therapy as a treatment,the doctor said,“In the study done by us,pelvic floor exercises were advised by treating gynaecologist to only five out of 44 UI cases. Similar findings were reported in another study.”

He added this indicated that even medical practitioners did not take incontinence in their patients seriously. Also,it could be an indictor that they themselves were not clear about the kind of therapy to be advised to the

patients.