Summer Series: Addressing Disparities in Pelvic Floor Health and Access to Care Video
Talking O&G - a RANZCOG PodcastShow Notes
This episode of the Summer Series of Talking O&G: A RANZCOG Podcast features Professor Ranee Thakar presenting on “Addressing Disparities in Pelvic Floor Health and Access to Care” at the RANZCOG Annual Scientific Meeting 2025. Professor Thakar is a distinguished consultant obstetrician and urogynaecologist at Croydon University Hospital and an honorary senior lecturer at St George’s University of London. Between 2022-2025, she made history as the first woman of colour and third female President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). As President of the International Urogynaecological Association (IUGA) (2019-2020), she played a pivotal role in advancing urogynaecological care worldwide. A hidden epidemic, pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects one in three women worldwide. Having been neglected in global health agendas, the crisis is exacerbated in low and middle-income countries that have limited surgical and physiotherapy capacity. Professor Thakar examines the impacts of a range of barriers to care, including patient-level sociocultural, healthcare system, and economic and logistic barriers. She outlines strategies to improve care such as normalising and destigmatising PFD, improving education, and promoting research and data collection. Professor Thakar encourages all O&Gs to advocate for improved pelvic floor health in their everyday practice. She highlights that pelvic floor health is not optional – it is a matter of equity, dignity, and human rights. The Summer Series is being released in video format to accommodate the visual elements of the presentations. 🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:
Squeezy App
Breaking the Taboo with Theo Clarke Podcast
📝 Relevant RANZCOG resources:
Pelvic Floor Health - RANZCOG
📌 RANZCOG members can listen to this episode and answer self-reflective questions to claim CPD hours towards their AHPRA and MCNZ mandated CAPE requirements as an Addressing Health Inequities activity. Submit CPD at: https://shorturl.at/iq733 💬 If you found this episode valuable, please rate, review, subscribe, and share it with your colleagues. RANZCOG acknowledges the need for more inclusive terminology for gender diversity. In this podcast we aim to use inclusive language, and any use of the term “women” should be interpreted to include all people requiring gynaecological and obstetric care. The views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect the official position of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
More from Talking O&G - a RANZCOG Podcast
In this episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast, host Dr Heather Waterfall speaks to gynaecologist Dr Catriona Melville and general practitioner Dr Anita Muñoz about RANZCOG’s binational clinical guideline Management of Vasomotor and Genitourinary Symptoms of Menopause. Dr Melville and Dr Muñoz speak on the scope of the guideline and how it can be used to support clinicians in assessment and treatment of vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms during menopause. They unpack the range of recommendations in the guideline, including menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and non-hormonal therapies, and considerations such as when to begin and cease treatment, and treating women with a history of breast cancer. 🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:
In this episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast, host Dr Heather Waterfall speaks to gynaecologist Dr Catriona Melville and general practitioner Dr Anita Muñoz about RANZCOG’s binational clinical guideline Management of Vasomotor and Genitourinary Symptoms of Menopause. Dr Melville and Dr Muñoz speak on the scope of the guideline and how it can be used to support clinicians in assessment and treatment of vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms during menopause. They unpack the range of recommendations in the guideline, including menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and non-hormonal therapies, and considerations such as when to begin and cease treatment, and treating women with a history of breast cancer. 🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:
In this episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast, host A/Prof Scott White speaks to Dr Lucy Bowyer about the SOMANZ guidelines for the investigation and management of sepsis in pregnancy. Despite the overall maternal mortality rate declining in Australia, rates of maternal sepsis remain stable, and it is one of the most common causes of maternal deaths reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A/Prof White and Dr Bowyer examine the statistics and why they have not declined alongside the overall maternal mortality rate. They explore the recommendations in the SOMANZ guideline and how they can be used to improve sepsis detection and treatment. Dr Bowyer provides actionable advice for clinicians regarding considerations such as anaesthesia, fetal surveillance, and antibiotics while breastfeeding. 🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:
In this episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast, host A/Prof Scott White speaks to Dr Lucy Bowyer about the SOMANZ guidelines for the investigation and management of sepsis in pregnancy. Despite the overall maternal mortality rate declining in Australia, rates of maternal sepsis remain stable, and it is one of the most common causes of maternal deaths reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A/Prof White and Dr Bowyer examine the statistics and why they have not declined alongside the overall maternal mortality rate. They explore the recommendations in the SOMANZ guideline and how they can be used to improve sepsis detection and treatment. Dr Bowyer provides actionable advice for clinicians regarding considerations such as anaesthesia, fetal surveillance, and antibiotics while breastfeeding. 🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:
In this episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast, host Dr Heather Waterfall speaks with Dr Rosie McBain, gynaecological oncologist, about cystic spaces in the endometrium on ultrasound and the correlation with endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. Dr McBain draws from the retrospective cohort study she conducted to examine this topic, the findings of which are published in ANZJOG. Dr Waterfall and Dr McBain discuss the findings of the study, its clinical implications, and areas that require further research. They address the nuances of clinical studies and the importance of patient-centred, individualised care. 🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode: