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Women's forum to focus on bladder, bowel health by Heather Woolwine Public Relations On Saturday, March 6, at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston, women of all ages are invited to hear discussions from nationally recognized experts who will promote strategies for prevention of bladder control problems, encourage early intervention through diagnosis and treatment, and improve women’s knowledge about how to maintain good bladder and bowel health and pelvic support. The forum, sponsored by the National Association For Continence (NAFC), will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and may be applied for 6.6 contact hours by the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates (SUNA).  Registration fee for nurses seeking CEU credit is $65 before Feb. 16, and $75 afterwards. For those who would like to attend but are not interested in CEU credit, the registration fee is $25. A two-for-the-price-of-one fee exists for consumers if registered before Feb. 15. A morning session will cover many different topics (diagnosis, treatment, medication, surgery, personal testimonies, etc.), exhibits will include products and choices for incontinence care management and treatment from industry leaders, continental breakfast and a seated luncheon are included, and participants will receive six hours of free parking at the Marion Square garage. Speakers include MUSC specialists Steven Swift, M.D., and Ross Rames, M.D., and professors from the Mayo Clinic, Emory College of Medicine, and Baylor College of Medicine.  Rames will speak on seeking treatment for symptoms associated with incontinence, identifying types of incontinence, and preparing for a specialist visit.  Swift will lead two discussions, the first on the post-menopausal woman including vaginal atrophy, seeking medical attention, and pessaries. His second topic will concern combating chronic urinary tract infections and will include the differences between acute and chronic UTIs, how to prevent them, and treatment options. Attendees will meet experts from the fields of urogynecology, nursing, gynecology, urology, and public health. Jennet Robinson Alterman, executive director of Charleston’s Center for Women, will facilitate the half-day session, and Yvonne T. Green, R.N., Office of Women’s Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, will be the keynote speaker during the seated luncheon. The forum sessions will be recorded for a webcast that will be available via NAFC’s Web site near the end of March. NAFC is the world’s largest consumer advocacy organization dedicated to helping people who struggle with incontinence and related voiding dysfunction.  Its mission focuses on public education and awareness, collaboration to disseminate information, and advocacy on behalf of the estimated 25 million adult Americans who live with incontinence. A not-for-profit organization, the NAFC is broadly funded through consumer and professional memberships, individual contributions, and grants from industry and private foundations.  For more information about NAFC, call 1-800-BLADDER (252-3337) or visit http://www.nafc.org.     Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.