NAFC Partners on CDC-Funded Initiative to Raise Awareness and Improve Outcomes for Women with Urinary Incontinence

National Association For Continence (NAFC) in partnership with CDC on an initiative to combat the widespread health issue of urinary incontinence (UI) in women.

CHARLESTON, SC, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Association For Continence (NAFC) is proud to announce a new collaborative initiative funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to combat the widespread, under-recognized public health issue of urinary incontinence (UI) among women. NAFC is partnering with Phreesia, Health.Equity.Outcomes., and Christina Escobar, MD of New York University on this three-year, evidence-based campaign designed to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and improve outcomes for millions of women affected by UI.

Urinary incontinence impacts nearly 80 million women across the United States and is frequently underdiagnosed, undertreated, and underdiscussed. With support from the CDC’s Expanding Capacity for Chronic Disease Education and Awareness grant program, NAFC and its partners will implement a multi-faceted strategy to promote early identification and treatment of UI, particularly through digital outreach and point-of-care education.

“This partnership is a significant step forward in addressing the profound impact of incontinence on women’s health and wellbeing,” said Sarah Jenkins, Executive Director of NAFC. “We are honored to join forces with Phreesia, Health.Equity.Outcomes., and Dr. Escobar to bring critical information directly to the women who need it most, when and where they’re seeking care.”

Breaking the Silence Around Urinary Incontinence (UI)
Despite the high prevalence, only 1 in 4 women with UI seek help from a healthcare provider, and those who do often wait an average of 6.5 years from symptom onset. Through this initiative, NAFC and its partners aim to empower women to take action—by starting conversations with healthcare professionals and accessing evidence-based support and treatment.

By leveraging Phreesia’s digital patient intake platform, the campaign will deliver tailored educational materials at the point of care, helping women understand that UI is both common and treatable. Additional outreach will focus on age-related risk, particularly the increased prevalence among women over 65, and on social factors that heighten vulnerability, including pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

A Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Approach
In addition to patient-facing efforts, the project will produce an indicator report on UI prevalence and burden, reviewing current research, developing survey questions to fill evidence gaps; and developing and publishing additional educational content on screening, prevention and treatment options for individuals, public health professionals and healthcare professionals.

“Incontinence has far-reaching effects on a person’s life, including impacts on mental health, reduced social and physical activity and personal financial repercussions,” said Sarah Jenkins, NAFC Executive Director. “This grant funding will help us increase awareness of UI and promote evidence-based practices for treatment, resulting in a positive impact on the quality of life for millions of American women affected by the disease.”

Building on National Women’s Health Priorities
This initiative is a natural extension of NAFC’s mission to improve the quality of life for individuals living with incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. By raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting access to evidence-based care, we are advancing our core commitment to educate, support, and empower those affected—especially the millions of women who too often suffer in silence.

“Following recent national initiatives to improve women’s health, we’re grateful to build on this momentum through this partnership with NAFC, Phreesia and Dr. Escobar,” said Sheila Fifer, Ph.D., Principal at Health.Equity.Outcomes.

“We’re looking forward to helping better document UI prevalence, burden and care delivery best practices as part of our mission to support public health providers with the most recent best practice information and research findings.” “As wide-scale interest in improving women’s health increases, we’re proud to launch this project and disseminate new information about urinary incontinence,” said Dr. Escobar. “Through this partnership and grant, we will help drive public awareness and provide better knowledge for HCPs and public health professionals to ultimately enhance support for women challenged with UI on a national scale.”

“If we can reach and activate an individual with UI to initiate a conversation with their HCP, we can help them get support much faster and dramatically improve their overall wellbeing,” said David Linetsky, Phreesia’s Senior Vice President, Life Sciences. “Empowering patients to be active participants in their care is at the heart of what we do at Phreesia, so we’re incredibly proud to be partnering with NAFC, Health.Equity.Outcomes., and Dr. Escobar on this important work driving action toward improving UI care on a national scale.”

Acknowledgment of Federal Funding: This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $375,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

About NAFC
The National Association For Continence is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with incontinence, voiding dysfunction, and related pelvic floor disorders. NAFC works to destigmatize bladder and bowel health issues and provide trusted, accessible education on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management. Learn more at NAFC.org.

About Our Partners
Phreesia provides innovative digital solutions to help patients take a more active role in their healthcare. Visit phreesia.com.

Health.Equity.Outcomes. is a nonprofit that equips community-based organizations to engage in research and improve public health infrastructure. Visit HEO-US.org.

Dr. Christina Escobar is a physician and researcher at New York University with expertise in women’s health and chronic disease management.

Sarah Jenkins
National Association For Continence
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