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In this issue:
  • Early Bird Registration Ends this Sunday, March 31!
  • Special Interest Group Meetings at the Annual Meeting
  • Accompanying Persons’ Program at the Annual Meeting
  • Grants & Awards Important Information and Deadline Extension
  • Membership Dues Increase
  • Last Chance to Complete the Shelf/Gellhorn Pessaries Survey

IUGA 2013 38th Annual Meeting

Last Chance to Register & Save with Early Bird Registration
Regular Fee begins April 1!

Early bird registration for the 2013 IUGA Annual Meeting in Dublin ends March 31st at 11:59 p.m. EDT (-5 GMT).  This is your last chance to register and save with the early bird registration before fees increase! Click below to register and send any questions you have to registration@iuga.org.
We look forward to seeing you soon!

Special Interest Group Meetings at the Annual Meeting

IUGA is pleased to announce the creation of two new special interest groups! The groups will be meeting at the following times in Dublin on Wednesday, May 29th:
  • Laparoscopic Surgery:   1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
  • Urogenital Pain Interest Group:   3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Special Interest Groups are made up of members who have a specific interest in a particular area of urogynecology and who are interested in engaging with other members with a similar interest.  The objectives are as follows:

  • To facilitate  the sharing and distribution of ideas and resources on an ongoing basis
  • Advance members’ specific areas of knowledge on an ongoing basis
  • Work on special projects as needed

Both meetings are open to all IUGA members.  No registration is necessary, just come to the meeting at the time indicated.  The location will be announced in the annual meeting final program.

Accompanying Persons’ Program at the Annual Meeting

If you are planning to bring a spouse or significant other with you to the 2013 Annual Meeting, make sure you check out our new Accompanying Persons’ Program! The program starts on Wednesday, May 29 and includes the IUGA 2013 welcome reception, a tour of the Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, a walking tour of Georgian Dublin and lunch at the Merrion Hotel. For more information, please click here.

Visit www.iuga2013.com for more information about the IUGA 2013 Annual Meeting in Dublin, Ireland!

Grants & Awards

Grant Funding Changes

At its recent meeting, the IUGA Board, with input from the Research and Development Committee, decided, due to financial pressures, to reduce the amount of grant funding that will be awarded at the annual meeting in Dublin for 2014.  This was a difficult decision, but the board felt it was important to maintain some level of support for these important programs even as some other organizations have eliminated their grant funding altogether for the coming year.  The board is optimistic that it will be possible soon to return to the regular levels of grant funding.  During this grant cycle IUGA will award the following:

•             One Basic Science award in the amount of $10,000
•             One Clinical Research award in the amount of $10,000
•             Two Observership awards in the amount of $4,000 each
•             One International Fellowship award in the amount of $30,000

Deadline Extended to April 2nd at 9:00 AM EDT (-5 GMT)

The grants and awards deadline for 2014 has been extended to April 2nd at 9:00 a.m. EDT (-5 GMT). For more information or to submit your application please click the button below.
Membership Dues Increase on May 1, 2013

As of May 1, 2013, IUGA’s membership dues will increase by US$50. The new annual membership fee will be US$150. But from now until April 30, you can renew your IUGA Regular Membership at the current rate of US$100, regardless of when during the year your membership expires. Simply log-in to the IUGA site at www.iuga.org,  select “membership” from account history and then select “Securely Renew Your Membership Now”.  Follow the on-screen instructions to renew. 

For a list of frequently asked questions associated with the membership dues increase, please click here.

Questions about the increase in membership dues should be directed to Amy Cassini, Membership Manager at amy@iuga.org.
Survey

Dear Colleagues and Members of IUGA,

We would be grateful if you would consider completing a short survey about the use of shelf/gellhorn pessaries.

Traditionally, ring pessaries are changed every 3-4 months but there is no evidence or guidance for how often shelf/gellhorn pessaries should be changed. The questions are: 'do they need to be removed or changed and if so how often? Does doing this reduce the risk of fistulae?’  Also some can be difficult to remove causing pain and bleeding. There are no evidence-based guidelines and these are required for all clinicians who manage women with pelvic organ prolapse. Your views will help us identify current practice and help with research and guidance.

Please click on the link to complete the survey. It should take no more than 5 minutes of your time:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Pessarysurvey1

If clicking this link does not work, please copy and paste it into your browser.

Many thanks indeed for your help with this survey.

Kind Regards,

Dr. Afshan Khaja &
Professor Bob Freeman
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust

Please note this survey has been reviewed and approved by the IUGA Research & Development Committee.

The IUGA office will be closed on Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1st for the Easter holiday.