Pelvic health issues, such as urine leakage, are common for women to experience, but not to talk about. Urogynecologist Marc Ashby, MD, spoke at Kettering Health Network’s “Dessert with a Doc” event on November 7 in an effort to reduce the stigma that makes women hesitant to share their concerns.

“I want to make people aware that if you’re having symptoms, concerns, or problems, they’re not the only one in the room,” Dr. Ashby said.

Women gathered at Twist Cupcakery in Dayton to share dessert and ask questions about their pelvic health. Dr. Ashby noted that he sees firsthand how this promotion of personal discussion benefits women, as he has patients return to him after they’ve had procedures and tell him they’ve started talking about it with their female friends who admit to experiencing many of the same symptoms.

“One out of 11 women will have a surgical procedure [to improve their pelvic health] in their lifetime,” Dr. Ashby says. “One out of three will notice a dropping of the pelvic floor. We know these problems are super common because a whole specialty has been developed for it.”

Dessert with a Doc gave the women in attendance a private but open space to share their health concerns and get expert advice from Dr. Ashby.

The event was held as a part of Kettering Health Network’s free Healthy Women program, designed to educate and empower women. To learn about future events in which you can get answers to your health questions and meet our expert physicians, join the Healthy Women program.