Data Sources & References 

The page provides data sources and references for information cited in Pelvic Health Melbourne publications, marketing material and other documents

Pelvic Organ Prolapse & Pessary Management

Date: June 2026

Audience: Specialists

Type: Marketing flyer

Marketing flyer on Pelvic Organ Prolapse & Pessary Management for specialists.

  • Statistics cited

    • Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition affecting approximately 30% of women, with around 50% of parous women experiencing symptoms by the age of 50 (Bugge et al. 2020).
    • Successful fitting occurs in approximately 60–73% of women (Clemons et al., 2004; Bugge et al., 2013)
    • Up to 74% report effective long-term symptom management following successful fitting ( van der Vaart et al., 2021)

  • References

    • Bugge, C., Adams, E. J., Gopinath, D., Stewart, F., Dembinsky, M., Sobiesuo, P., & Kearney, R. (2020). Pessaries (mechanical devices) for managing pelvic organ prolapse in women. In Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Vol. 2021, Issue 3). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004010.pub4 
    • Bugge C, Adams EJ, Gopinath D, Reid F. Pessaries (mechanical devices) for pelvic organ prolapse in women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Feb 28;2013(2):CD004010. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004010.pub3. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Nov 18;11:CD004010. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004010.pub4. PMID: 23450548; PMCID: PMC7173753. 
    • Clemons JL, Aguilar VC, Tillinghast TA, Jackson ND, Myers DL. Risk factors associated with an unsuccessful pessary fitting trial in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Feb;190(2):345-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2003.08.034. PMID: 14981372. 
    • van der Vaart LR, Vollebregt A, Milani AL, Lagro-Janssen AL, Duijnhoven RG, Roovers JP, Van der Vaart CH. Pessary or surgery for a symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse: the PEOPLE study, a multicentre prospective cohort study. BJOG. 2022 Apr;129(5):820-829. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.16950. Epub 2021 Oct 28. PMID: 34559932; PMCID: PMC9298049.