Bekkenbodemklachten bij mannen en vrouwen: een 'mixed-method' studie

Pelvic floor symptoms (PFS) are prevalent and often bothersome. PFS include micturition problems (e.g. urinary incontinence, urgency, voiding dysfunction), sexual problems (e.g. erectile dysfunction, dyspareunia), pelvic organ prolapse, defecation problems (e.g. fecal incontinence, constipation, obstructed defecation) and genito-pelvic pain. PFS are associated with a decrease in quality of life, and incidence increases with age. Currently, different specialists in secondary care (gynecologist, urologist, colorectal surgeon, sexologist, gastroenterologist, pelvic physiotherapist) treat PFS. This leads to many successive diagnostic tests, suboptimal treatments, high patient burden, and substantial medical costs. This monodisciplinary approach of PFS in secondary care is remarkable as the pelvic floor is an anatomical and functional unit, with different PFS frequently co-occurring. It is expected that female and male subjects will benefit from a sex- and gender-specific approach to PFS considering the several anatomical differences in male and female pelvic organs, the multifactorial character of PFS, and the differences in help seeking behavior. However, research on PFS is predominantly performed among females, making the male pelvic floor a relative ‘terra incognita’. To contribute to an integrated sex- and gender-specific approach to PFS in primary care, we need evidence on clinically relevant clusters of PFS, on factors that are associated with the development of PFS, the course of PFS, and on help seeking behavior, both among women and men. Therefore, a prospective population–based cohort study with a 2-year follow-up will be performed based on annual self-administered questionnaires. Furthermore, two substudies (physical examination: 200 males and 200 females, and interviews: 25 patients with PFS) will be performed.