The AUA is committed to increasing awareness among elected officials and the general public on bladder health conditions. Bladder health issues impose a massive human and economic toll on Americans. However there remains a social stigma and uneasiness when discussing these issues as many patients believe that there is no medical solution to bladder conditions, or they feel too uncomfortable to bring these issues to the attention of their physician.

What You Should Know

Bladder health includes bladder cancer, incontinence and urotraumatic injuries, among others. Individuals suffering from these conditions are diverse:

• Since 2003, approximately 50,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is estimated that nearly 10 percent of these injuries involve the genitourinary system.
• Bladder cancer accounts for 16,000 American deaths each year and has the highest recurrence rate of all cancers. When diagnosed in women, it may often be originally mistaken for non-cancerous gynecological problems. Bladder cancer has the highest cost of health care delivery per patient compared to all other malignancies.
• Overactive bladder (OAB) affects 33 million Americans.
• Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) impacts one-third of all women under 60 and half of all women over 65.

Urology Care Foundation Patient Information

• What is OAB?
• What is Bladder Cancer?
• What is Bladder Prolapse?
• What is Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome?