Birth Trauma Awareness Week

22 July 2026

The Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) welcomes the increased focus on Birth Trauma Awareness Week and supports efforts to improve recognition of the lifelong health impacts that birth trauma can have on women.

While much attention is rightly given to the immediate physical and psychological consequences of birth trauma, the long-term effects on pelvic floor health are often under-recognised. Injury to the pelvic floor during pregnancy and childbirth is a significant risk factor for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse - conditions that can develop years after delivery and have a profound impact on quality of life, participation in work and exercise, and overall wellbeing.

These conditions are common, but they are not an inevitable consequence of childbirth, nor should women feel they must simply live with them. Greater awareness among women, healthcare professionals and policymakers is essential to promote early assessment, timely referral and access to effective treatment.

USANZ is committed to advocating for women's pelvic health through education, research and multidisciplinary collaboration. Urologists with expertise in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) play a key role in the assessment and management of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and other complex pelvic floor disorders resulting from birth trauma, working alongside obstetricians, gynaecologists, pelvic health physiotherapists and primary care clinicians.

Birth Trauma Awareness Week provides an important opportunity to reduce stigma, encourage women to seek help, and reinforce that evidence-based treatment is available. USANZ remains committed to improving awareness, education and access to specialist care so that women receive the support they need throughout their lives - not just during childbirth.

About the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ)

USANZ is the peak professional body for urological surgeons in Australia and New Zealand. Urologists are surgeons who treat men, women and children with problems involving the kidney, bladder, prostate and male reproductive organs. These conditions include cancer, stones, infection, incontinence, urination difficulties, sexual dysfunction and pelvic floor problems.
 

Access the PDF of the Media Release: Birth Trauma Awareness Week.