Hello everyone…we hope your 2023 has been peaceful and productive. Dr. Meehan and I are very excited about the upcoming course on Menstruation and Pelvic Health. We’re excited because this is a chance to discuss the Menstrual Experience, an opportunity that is not common in society today. Menstrual Symptoms and anxiety about seeing blood on clothes or furniture can create obstacles to opportunities in education, career advancement, relationships, health care, family, sports, and enjoyment. Society has missed out for too many generations on the contributions of people who have had to miss opportunities to shine due to challenging aspects of their Menstrual Experience.

Many patients have Menstrual Concerns that they would like to discuss with someone but don’t feel confident or able to engage in these important conversations. Pelvic floor practitioners have a unique opportunity to evaluate their patients’ Menstrual Experience and create an individualized care plan that takes that experience into consideration. We discuss how to initiate conversations with patients on a topic that is surrounded by cultural taboo and stigma, and we discuss biological underpinnings of the normal Menstrual Cycle and of Menstrual Symptoms that so many people experience each month, often hundreds of times in a lifetime

There is a very exciting section of the live course dedicated to understanding the quickly evolving landscape of options to manage Menstrual Flow. We carry out live demonstrations on how much blood is lost on each day of a ‘typical’ period, and we have demonstrations of use, mode of action, and maintenance of wide variety of disposable and reusable products: Liners, Pads, Intra-Labial Pads, Tampons (we discuss absorbency, expansion, and applicators), Cups, Discs, and ever-expanding options in Period Underwear, Period Activewear, Period Sleepwear, Period Swimwear (bikini and 1- piece), and Menstrual Sponges (not recommended). We discuss pros and cons of these collection and absorption method on different days of flow, and we develop a Flow Management plan so each person can confidently engage in the things that are important to them on any day of the month.

This course was designed to promote open discussion of the Menstrual Experience among health care providers so we are confident and prepared to serve as advocates of productive Menstrual Dialogue to re-consider the Menstrual Experience in a more positive light. It is our hope that this course inspires participants to engage in Menstrual Conversations with patients, with people who are important to them, within professional circles, and in social communities to erode Menstrual Stigma and find solutions real practical that reduce barriers to opportunities in education, career advancement, relationships, health care, family, sports, and enjoyment.

We hope to see you soon in the class to take the next important step together on this exciting Menstrual Journey!

Nicholas Gaffga, MD, FAAFP, MPH and Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTC

Menstruation and Pelvic Health

Course Dates:
February 25-26

Price: $575
Experience Level: Beginner
Contact Hours: 19

Description: This course is designed for clinicians who want to obtain advanced knowledge and skills to educate patients on non-hormonal, non-surgical, and non-prescription interventions for improving the Menstrual Experience. Developed by Nicholas Gaffga, MD, MPH, FAAFP and presented together with Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTC, this course is geared towards the pelvic rehab provider looking to impart Menstrual Interventions that:

1. Put control in the hands of people who menstruate to identify and carry out the interventions that are appropriate to them.
2. Use a holistic approach and advanced knowledge and familiarity with body and mind.
3. Emphasize healthy practices that can positively impact the Menstrual Experience and beyond, in areas such as mental health and chronic diseases.
4. Discover root causes of issues, rather than quick fixes, to have benefits that are sustainable across the lifespan.