The questions you answered in the online quiz are actually taken from a common assessment tool we use in clinic called the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory Short Form 20 (PFDI-20). The purpose of the PFDI is to assess symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and the impact of pelvic floor disorders on women’s quality of life.  

It is a set of 20 questions, separated into 3 different sections:

Section ONE (6 questions) 

This is questions 4 through to 9 in the quiz. These relate to pelvic organ prolapse. That is, the descent of one or more of the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus or bowel. Felt as a bulging of this organ into or out of the vagina. 

____

Section TWO (8 questions) 

This is questions 10 through to 17 in the quiz. These relate to your back passage/ bowel and rectum. 

____

Section THREE (6 questions) 

This is questions 18 through to 23 in the quiz. These relate to your bladder and urinary function. 

____

There is no right or wrong answer, nor is there an agreed upon “cut off” score for what is normal and what is abnormal. 

A score of zero, means there are no pelvic floor symptoms that are causing you distress. But this doesn’t necessarily mean there is no problem. 

A score of 80, means there are many symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction that are causing you significant distress. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you have something awfully wrong with all aspects of your pelvis, and rather this is how you interpret the symptoms you are experiencing. 

The quiz is here to get you thinking about ALL aspects of pelvic floor function and to make you aware of how you are feeling and functioning. At the end of the day, awareness is key and knowledge is power! 

Head back to our site for more information on the different aspects of pelvic health and what you can do about it. 

Over time our team will collect data and give you feedback on what most women your age are reporting (all anonymously, don't you worry!). We will also create a FAQ page plus individual blog posts on different aspects of the quiz and what certain answers may mean about your pelvic floor! 

If you have any burning questions or wish to talk to one of our team, get in touch with us.

And please remember that this information is not intended to replace face-to-face medical care, assessment or treatment. The Pelvic Floor Project assumes no responsibility for any aspect of health care self-administered with the aid of this information. Our goal is to inform and empower our tribe with knowledge on their health and wellness, we are here to help you. 

Barber MD, Walters MD, Bump RC. Short forms of two condition-specific quality-of-life questionnaires for women with pelvic floor disorders (PFDI-20 adn PFIQ-7). Am J Obstet Gynecol 2005;193:103-113