APOPS             

POP BASICS 

The pc or pelvic floor muscle is a trampoline-like muscle (when healthy strong and flexible) that supports the organs and tissues in the female pelvic cavity. POP (pelvic organ prolapse) can occur when the pc or pelvic floor muscle becomes damaged or weakened due to a variety of causes. When this occurs one or more organs and the tissues attached may become displaced and shift downward in the pelvic cavity. The bladder, urethra, colon, small intestines, uterus, and/or vagina may shift from their normal positions. Organs and tissues may bulge into the vaginal canal; often they bulge beyond the end of the vagina. This displacement of organs and tissues is called pelvic organ prolapse.

There are 5 types of POP, cystocele (bladder), rectocele (colon), enterocele (small intestines), uterine (uterus), and vaginal vault (vagina); there are 4 grades of severity. There are mutiple causes of POP; vaginal childbirth is the most common cause followed by menopause and multiple other causes.

The symptoms women experience vary a bit by type of POP, degree of severity, and how many kinds of POP a woman has. The most common symptoms of POP are urinary incontinence, rectal/vaginal pressure or pain, chronic constipation, fecal incontinence, a sensation of "insides falling out", or back/pelvic pain or pressure; there are other symptoms as well.

Additional information is available on the dropdown menu for POP Basics as well as the Library page of this website.

DISCLAIMER

The contents of pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org and the APOPS website is intended to provide beneficial health and support information for women who suspect they have or have been diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse. All materials including text, graphics, images, and audio provided in this site are for informational purposes only and are not a subsitute for guidance by a health care practitioner.

All visitors to this site should seek advice from a health care practioner for their specific health concerns. Neither pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org nor APOPS recommends any particular test or procedure. APOPS encourages women to take all educational information about POP to their personal physicians for further evalutation.