Breaking the Stigma: September is Urology Awareness Month

According to the Urology Foundation, one in two of us will be affected by a urological condition in our lifetime.
 

Urological conditions are common but have diverse causes. They can result from cancer, disease, trauma or surgical injury.

The most well-known urological conditions directly concern the urinary tract including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Perhaps less well-known is that urological conditions include injury to reproductive organs. Unsuccessful vasectomy or hysterectomy operations can lead to urological injury, as can the misdiagnosis of testicular torsion. Nerve damage can result in urinary incontinence as well as sexual impotence.  Urological conditions also arise from various cancers including prostate, bladder, or testicular. 

Urological conditions are diverse but their treatments are consistently complex. Accurately assessing the full impact of such conditions may require the expertise of specialists in nephrology, gynaecology, oncology and psychiatry. Misdiagnoses or delayed treatment can have life changing consequences.

Urological injuries may be invisible to others but this makes them no less debilitating. Such injuries are also all too often associated with social stigma and feelings of embarrassment. Urology Awareness Month is about breaking the stigma around such conditions and encouraging patients to seek appropriate and timely treatment.

Further Information

If you have any questions or concerns about the topics discussed in this blog, please contact Eurydice Cote or any member of the Medical Negligence & Personal Injury team.

About the Author

Eurydice Cote is an Associate in the Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury Team. She advises individuals who have sustained catastrophic and life changing injuries. Eurydice has helped clients who have sustained a range of injuries, including complete and incomplete spinal cord injury, amputation, orthopaedic injuries, gastrointestinal injuries and loss of vision.