Constipation: a potential cause of pelvic floor damage?

Background: Pelvic floor damage is a major clinical problem usually attributed to obstetric injury. We speculated that constipation may also be an aetiological and preventable factor resulting from repeated stress on the perineum over many years, and this study aimed to test this hypothesis.

Methods: A total of 600 women attending a gynaecological clinic were assessed using a structured questionnaire gathering data on pelvic floor damage, constipation and obstetric trauma.