title: Self-perceived natural history of pelvic organ prolapse described by women presenting for treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to describe the self-perceived natural history of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women seeking care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women presenting to a university-based urogynecology clinic for POP (n = 107) completed a questionnaire including questions about how and when their prolapse was discovered. A urogynecologic examination including the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight percent of these women sought medical attention "immediately" after discovering a bulge. The median time to seek care was 4 months (range from 1 month to 45 years). Twenty-six percent associated their prolapse with a specific event (e.g., moving furniture or pushing a car). POP was self-discovered by 76% (81/107) of women. Self-discovered prolapses were larger than those diagnosed by physicians (Ba +1.3 vs 0.1 cm, P = .03, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women seek medical advice within months of discovering their prolapse. Self-discovery is associated with higher stage prolapse than prolapse diagnosed by health care providers.
authors.affiliation: Pelvic Floor Research Group, Division of Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. clewicky@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewicky-Gaupp
authors.forename: Rebecca U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Margulies
authors.forename: Kindra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Dee E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Fenner
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: John O L
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: DeLancey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000175:diagnosis*