The International Urogynecology Journal is the official journal of the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) and is currently accepting applications for two Editor positions, plus a Social Media Coordinator.

Editors

The two new Editors will join a current team of two Editors-in-Chief and seven Editors and will be responsible for managing peer review of journal submissions and making editorial decisions, using the Editorial Manager online submission platform.

Preference will be given to candidates who meet the following criteria:

1. Prior experience with the peer review process, research, and publications.
2. A strong academic and clinical background.
3. International academic connections and ability to add to the geographic diversity of the journal.
4. Ability to work effectively with the Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board Members, Reviewers, and Authors.
5. Prior editorial experience.
6. IUGA membership is required.

We encourage both self-nominations and recommendations for these 2 Editor positions. The Editors will be offered a fixed term of 6 years (renewable for no more than one term) and will receive complimentary registration and travel support to the IUGA Annual Meeting. Editors are expected to attend an annual Editors’ Meeting at the IUGA Annual Meeting and a biennial Publisher’s Meeting in New York City in person, and to participate in quarterly editor teleconferences.

Interested candidates should provide their CV, a cover letter explaining their interest in the position, and names of one to two references. Please send these materials to the IUJ Managing Editor, Ms. Lindsay MacMurray (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), by December 3, 2018.

 Social Media Coordinator

This new position reflects the IUJ’s commitment to explore ways of making more strategic use of various communications and social media channels. It will involve working closely both with the Editors-in-Chief and Editors, Springer (publisher), and the authors of published papers to promote the contents of the journal. The focus will be on developing a strategy to connect the journal’s existing presence in the different social media channels and then thinking through how these might be better integrated and optimized.  

Candidate Specification:

Applicants must have experience of working across a range of social medial channels including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter etc. They should have strong creative and organizational skills, a willingness to work as part of a team and a commitment to the mission of the IUJ. The successful candidate must have experience using social media channels in their professional lives. Editorial experience is preferred. IUGA membership is required.

The Social Media Coordinator will be offered a fixed term of 6 years (renewable for no more than one term) and will receive complimentary registration to the IUGA Annual Meeting.

Interested candidates should provide their CV, a cover letter explaining their interest and qualifications for the position, and names of one to two references. Please send these materials to the IUJ Managing Editor, Ms. Lindsay MacMurray (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), by December 3, 2018.

Join us in our mission to improve Pelvic Organ Prolapse treatment and related patient care in urogynecology by participating in the IUGA International Urogynecological Consultation (IUC).

We are looking for committee members to contribute to the IUC, which will produce papers to be published in the IUJ covering definitions, treatment options and evaluation of patients who suffer from Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

The first subject area of the IUC is focused on the epidemiology/pathophysiology/definition of POP and will be covered by five committees:

1. Epidemiology of POP: Incidence/Prevalence, Natural History.
2. Pathophysiology of POP: Risk Factors, Family History, Genetic Mutations
3. Clinical definition of POP
4. Patients perception of disease burden of POP
5. Relationship of POP and associated morbidities/pelvic floor dysfunction (urinary incontinence/ voiding dysfunction, fecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction and pelvic pain)

Committee members will serve a three-year term. Committee members will be chosen by the Chair of the respective committee with input from the IUC Steering Committee.

For more information on the IUC and the role of committee members, a timeline summary, a detailed description of each of the committees, and information on how to apply, please click here.

From October 31 to November 3, 2018, IUGA will participate in and exhibit at the 7th Emirates International Urological Conference & 15th Annual Arab Association of Urology Conference (EUSC 2018), which will take place at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai, UAE. The EUSC will bring together renowned experts from all around the world and will provide unique opportunities of networking and sharing knowledge.

Drs Fawzy Farag, Abdalla Fayyad and Mikkola Tomi will co-host an IUGA workshop and they will present at the IUGA session, which both take place in the morning on Saturday, November 3, 2018. We invite all of you to attend this meeting and our sessions, but also to come and visit the IUGA booth at the exhibits and sign up or pick up your IUGA membership pin. See you in Dubai!

As part of our continuing effort to serve our members around the world, IUGA Academy has just published our first bi-lingual e-lecture! This is the first in a special series of e-Lectures from different parts of the world! The October e-lecture of Javier Pizarro-Berdichevsky on Management of Sling Failures -Manejo de Falla de Sling- is available in both English and Spanish.*

WATCH NOW IN ENGLISH

MIRA AHORA EN ESPAÑOL

*Only accessible for IUGA Members. Not a member? Join here 

APPLY FOR NEW PISQ-IR WORKING GROUP

IUGA is seeking 4 member-volunteers to serve on a PISQ-IR Working Group (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire – IUGA Revised). The PISQ-IR Working Group works with individuals/groups translating the PISQ-IR and is responsible for reviewing and providing feedback on translation/back-translation to ensure the original intention of the questions is not lost in the process of translation. Because each PISQ-IR translation can take multiple years to complete, Working Group members must be able to make a long-term commitment (3-year minimum/6 years preferred) and must have demonstrated test validation and/or translation experience.

Interested members should submit their CV and a statement of interest which outlines their experience with test validation and/or translations by Friday, December 7, 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With the recent publishing of our 3rd CME Course on the IUGA Academy, IUGA members now have the opportunity to earn 9 CME Credits - all in the field of urogynecology-  completely FREE of charge! Check out the most recent CME Course on Pelvic Floor Imaging by Clara Shek, Vivien Wong, Rodrigo Guzmán Rojas, Kamil Švabík, and Hans Peter Dietz today!

AMERICAN UROGYNECOLOGIC SOCIETY (AUGS) / INTERNATIONAL UROGYNECOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (IUGA) JOINT REPORT ON THE TERMINOLOGY FOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES TO TREAT PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE

AUGS and IUGA are looking for volunteers to help establish standardized terminology for commonly accepted surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse utilizing a collaboration of experts.  Both societies are soliciting applications from their members, who will work collaboratively to develop the terminology paper.  The resulting document will address voids in clinical practice and research and allow surgeons and scientists to better advance the field of FPMRS.

Background

Surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) are common. Despite this, many professionals find the terms describing different surgeries performed to correct POP confusing, heterogeneous, and difficult to explain to patients and other providers.  Even among experts in POP, terms regarding POP surgeries are often inconsistently used and rapidly evolving.  These issues lead to possible miscommunication, which limits patient care and research.

The aim of this document is to propose a standardized set of consistent and correct terms to describe common surgeries for POP repair.  The main document will cover standard terms in common surgical procedures for treatment of POP, guidelines for correct use of these surgical terms, and limitations of these terms.

The document will be developed using a collaborative process that requires regular communication via email, periodic conference calls, and completion of assignments.  The duration of the commitment is 18-24 months.

To learn more about this project, read the scoping document available by clicking here.

We are seeking members with the following skill set and/or interests:

• Practicing urogynecologist, urologist, or general obstetrician-gynecologist
• Clinical expertise in the surgical management of POP
• Knowledge and understanding of the scientific literature regarding the surgical management of POP
• Experience writing technical reports, reviews, or other scientific papers
• Commitment to teamwork, responsiveness, and dedication to complete assignments

Participation in terminology projects requires a fair amount of time and dedication from all involved in the joint writing group, but your commitment and involvement will help clarify understanding and standardize communication in our important field. We therefore look forward to receiving your application!

Applications

To apply, please follow these two steps:

1) Submit a letter of interest stating your qualifications for the position and a brief CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

2) Complete the online COI form available by clicking here.

Applications are due by September 26, 2018.

Recent research has shown that elective salpingectomy reduces the risk of ovarian malignancy. Although this has been in practice for some time, there is a lack of specific literature about knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pelvic floor surgeons performing risk-reducing salpingectomy alongside vaginal hysterectomy. The IUGA Fellows Research Network asks that you complete their survey to help fill this knowledge void and provide information for pelvic floor surgeons. To complete the survey, click here.

We offer CME Courses to our members for FREE. Yes, that’s right- FREE!  IUGA members can now follow our second CME Course Surgical Management of POP with renowned experts Paul Moran, Stephen Jeffery, Catherine A. Matthews, Mark Walters, Abdalla Fayyad, and G. Willy Davila to earn 3.25 CME credits, completely FREE of charge! Check it out here.