Pelvic Ireland | Blog

Pelvic NI 2023 Survey

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Pelvic NI 2023 Survey

Results from our latest survey of women and birthing people experiencing pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

1 December 2023 SurveyResearch2023

Each year Pelvic NI undertakes an annual survey of women and birthing people with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

These surveys enable us to get a better idea of the situation facing women with PGP, how their PGP affects them and their access to information and treatment.

Key findings of our 2023 survey report:

77.4%

of respondents were currently experiencing PGP

could walk normally without pain (down from 6% in 2022)

18%

need mobility aids like crutches or wheelchair (up from 13% in 2022)

Impact on Daily Activities

PGP significantly affected women’s ability to perform key daily activities:

82% - Exercising
81% - Turning over in bed
67% - Being intimate with their partner
65% - Climbing the stairs
63% - Working

Healthcare Support & Treatment

Healthcare Support

19%

felt supported by their GP or midwife (up slightly from 17% in 2022)

Manual Therapy Access

86%

had not been offered manual therapy through their health service (up from 80% in 2022)

Mental Health Impact

57% of respondents had experienced a problem with their mental health during or after pregnancy (down from 63% in 2022)

These findings are unfortunately not surprising and support our discussions with women with PGP on our support services. We will use this information to shape our ongoing policy and advocacy effort to improve care, support and treatment for women with PGP.

Survey Resources

2023 Survey Report

Download Pelvic NI 2023 Survey Highlights

2022 Survey Report

Download Pelvic NI 2022 Survey Highlights

Stay Updated

Survey Research PGP 2023

Fundraise for us: Join Team Pelvic NI

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Fundraise for us: Join Team Pelvic NI

Find out more about our new partnership with Run for charity to help connect more supporters with fundraising challenges.

15 August 2023 FundraisingPartnershipEvents

We have partnered with Run for Charity, an organisation that can connect YOU with hundreds of sports challenges taking place across Northern Ireland and the UK.

Team Partnership

Join Team Pelvic NI

Help raise funds for Pelvic NI, so we can keep providing much-needed information and support to women and birthing people with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain.

Wherever you are in Northern Ireland, we can secure places in short and long distance running events, inflatable events and fun runs.

Popular Available Events

Check out some popular available events below or click the link to find an event near you:

Marathon Events

Dublin Marathon
Cork City Marathon
Manchester Marathon
Paris Marathon
Brighton Marathon

Half Marathon & Fun Runs

Dublin Half Marathon
London Landmarks Half
Hackney Half
Run Alton Towers

Challenge Events

Inflatable 5k series
Tough Mudder
Obstacle races
Virtual challenges

Get Started Today

Join Our Fundraising Team

Ready to take on a challenge for Pelvic NI?

Contact Our Fundraising Team

Get Involved

Why Your Support Matters

As a small charity we rely heavily on your donations and fundraising initiatives. Please consider taking on a challenge to #payitforward and help us help more women with PGP.

Stay Updated

Charity Fundraising Events

Pelvic NI AGM - June 2023

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Pelvic NI AGM - June 2023

Find out about our recent virtual Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 21st June 2023.

21 June 2023 AGMMeeting2023

On Wednesday 21st June 2023 we held our virtual Annual General Meeting, inviting women with PGP, healthcare practitioners and our Committee.

Featured Presentation

It was a great meeting, including a detailed presentation from Áine Ní Phóil on her recent dissertation examining current trends in physiotherapy treatment of PGP. Áine was also kind enough to lead a Q&A after her presentation where we discussed how Pelvic NI could work more collaboratively with manual therapists.

Meeting Highlights

As well as the AGM formalities, we also heard many stories from women with PGP and the findings from our latest survey.

Access Meeting Presentations

To access the presentations from this meeting, please contact our co-ordinator at contact@pelvicni.org.

Meeting Resources

2023 Survey Highlights

Latest findings from our annual survey of women with PGP

Annual Report 2022-2023

Comprehensive overview of our activities and achievements

Stay Updated

Charity Fundraising AGM

Pelvic NI wins Heather Trickey Essay Prize

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Pelvic NI wins Heather Trickey Essay Prize

We are winners of the 2022 Heather Trickey Essay Prize for our essays on pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

15 November 2022 AwardEssaysRecognition

2022 Heather Trickey Essay Prize

Jointly with our Trustee, Áine Ní Chonchúir, Síle Ní Bhriain and Jen Campbell are the joint winners of the 2022 Heather Trickey Essay Prize for our essays on the challenges facing women with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

About the Prize

This is the second year of the Heather Trickey Essay Prize, an award in honour of Dr Heather Trickey who recently died after a long career working to improve health and care for women. The essay prize could address any topic in the field of women’s reproductive health.

Our Recognition

We are proud and delighted to have been awarded this prize, which reflects the importance of the work that we do with PGP, and marks twenty years of hard work from our team to offer support and information to women with PGP and their families.

We are so grateful for this opportunity to shine a light on PGP and work collaboratively with the judges and benefit from their expertise in women’s health and research, to find new ways to offer women with PGP the support and treatment they need to become pain-free as well as promoting further research into the treatment of PGP.

Chair’s Statement

"We are proud and delighted to have been awarded this prize, which reflects the importance of the work that we do with PGP, and marks twenty years of hard work from our team to offer support and information to women with PGP and their families."

— Síle Ní Bhriain

Chair of Pelvic NI

Trustee’s Statement

"After researching Heather's life and recognising her commitment to women's health issues, it is an honour to be recognised for our essays. In my essay I drew on my own experience and the experiences of hundreds of other women through my @pgpandme account, to give a voice to those who are too often overlooked."

— Áine Ní Chonchúir

Trustee of Pelvic NI

Acknowledgements

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the judges: Simon Brindle, Clare Murphy, Jess Figuras and Professor Julia Sanders.

Read the Award-Winning Essays

To read both essays, please click on the below links or read online at heathertrickeyprize.org.

Áine Ní Chonchúir's Essay

Personal perspectives on living with PGP

Pelvic NI's Essay

“Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain is one of the most common painful and debilitating conditions that you’ve never heard of”

Explore Women’s Stories

Read women’s stories on their experiences of managing and recovering from pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

Read Women’s Stories

Thank you for your support.

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Charity Fundraising Award