Breaking the silence: addressing pelvic floor dysfunction in female athletes

Pelvic floor health is recognised as one of the 10 domains of female athlete health that should be included in illness and injury surveillance.1 However, pelvic floor health and dysfunction are not typically covered within sport and exercise medicine (SEM) training. Consequently, many females report not being asked about their pelvic health, and athletes, in particular, report being unlikely to disclose pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) symptoms to a healthcare professional.2 This editorial aims to highlight the importance of addressing PFD openly within SEM and to foster a supportive dialogue between clinicians and athletes to help female athletes manage and overcome this condition. PFD is an umbrella term encompassing several clinical features including pain, compromised urinary and/or faecal continence, impaired voiding and reduced pelvic organ support.3 The incidence and prevalence of PFD increase with advancing age and are influenced by specific life events such as vaginal childbirth, as well as by the type and intensity of physical activity or sports participation. Nevertheless, PFD can manifest at any stage throughout the lifespan.4 In the female athletic population, symptoms can manifest quite early in an athlete’s career rather than being linked to returning to sport after childbirth, and symptoms may also emerge or intensify during transitional life stages such as perimenopause, …