If you’ve recently learned what the detrusor is, we’re willing to bet you’ve been exploring our new incontinence glossary (if not, look it up!) We believe that the more information we have, the more empowered we are as individuals to take control of our health and well-being. And the more we talk about bladder leaks, the more empowered we are as a society to challenge the deep stigma and shame still associated with this common condition.
For anyone who’s ever written down terms in a medical appointment to look up in a dictionary later, this glossary is for you. For anyone trying to find the right word to describe their experience with bladder leaks, this glossary is for you. For caregivers who are supporting a woman living with bladder leaks but don’t have first-hand experience with this condition, this glossary is for you, too.
We’re so proud to share our newest resource with you, which was compiled in close collaboration with our Attn: Grace medical advisors. We also sat down with our Co-Founder, Alexandra Fennell, to hear more about why creating this glossary was so important.
Q: How did you know that this was a resource that was needed?
Alex, Co-Founder: One of the most staggering statistics I’ve learned since we started building Attn: Grace is that it takes a woman an average of six years before she seeks medical guidance or treatment for bladder leaks. That has always stayed with me, and an important part of our mission is supporting women living with UI in ways that allow them to take a more informed and empowered role in navigating this health condition.
Our larger Resource Library, which now includes this glossary, is one piece of that. While these materials are, of course, never a substitute for seeking medical attention and talking directly with your healthcare providers, we hope that having a better understanding of some of the terminology will support women in taking a more active approach to this aspect of their health and wellbeing.
Q: Where does the information come from? How is it qualified?
Alex: We worked with one of our amazing Medical Advisors, Dr. Jeannine Miranne, to identify and then define these key terms in the larger urinary incontinence space. Dr. Miranne is a Urogynecologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, and an expert in urinary incontinence whose point of view we are lucky to have.
Q: How should we use the glossary?
Alex: Read, return, and let us know what you think. We keep all of our resources current, and we also love to get feedback from our community. So if you see something that’s missing or have a topic or term that you’d like us to include or address, reach out!
Q: Any surprises when developing the glossary?
Alex: As much time as we spend learning about urinary incontinence, how it impacts the lives of our customers, and how we can better support women living with this condition, there is always something new to learn.
Creating medically accurate yet approachable resources is something we always prioritize. After you’re done learning about intravesical pressure, take a spin through our resource library to explore more content on incontinence, menopause, pelvic floor therapy, and a whole lot more.