Pelvic Organ Prolapse Patient Advocate; Vaginal and Intimate Health Empowerment Activist
In full disclosure, I am a TV Mesh success story. I spoke at the FDA both in 2011 and 2019 on behalf of the women we serve behind APOPS curtain who had mesh success, but of course we also have women in our space who experienced complications. Their needs were and are important to acknowledge. I remain a firm believer in the value of all tools in the toolbox to address individual women's needs in the most appropriate way. Mesh anxiety remains embedded in women's brains due to the abundance of one-sided media exposure in the past. There is zero doubt there were issues to address re who should be inserting what into women's bodies, product quality and efficacy issues, and evaluation to advance best practice. Timeliness is a big deal when it comes to health. Journalists didn't talk to those of us who were success stories back then. They still don't. As in all things health, patient voice matters. We have women in APOPS space sharing their success stories daily. We also have women who remain terrified of mesh. The mesh terrain has shifted. The voices have not. I am always happy to see fresh evaluation of mesh products as the playing field continues to evolve including both synthetic and bio products. This study out of Australia, a country still reverberating complications there, is worth a read. https://lnkd.in/gnehMYju #APOPS #womenshealthempowerment #EveryVoiceMatters #BelowtheWaist #TheBiggestSecretinWomensHealth
