No Public Restrooms and Barriers to Care: HealthCentral Partners with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation to Highlight the Challenges and Traumas of Living with IBD

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Oct 09, 2024, 11:00 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 1 in 100 people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the U.S., the scarcity of public restrooms is not merely inconvenient, it's restrictive and potentially traumatizing, according to the first report in a new quarterly series from HealthCentral and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation on the often-overlooked challenges of living with IBD.

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Logo

America Has a Public Restroom Problem explores how the lack of public bathrooms in urban areas forces people with IBD to organize their daily lives around knowing the precise location of accessible bathrooms, leading many to abandon any extensive travel for fear of suffering the humiliation and trauma of public accidents.

The report highlights the experiences of people with IBD, and also features perspectives from experts and advocates on possible solutions, which could include the creation of public-private partnerships to increase the number of public toilets, working with local businesses to provide access to in-store bathrooms, and offering ways the IBD community can take action to promote equitable restroom access in their state or city.

Click here for report: https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/inflammatory-bowel-disease/america-has-a-public-restroom-problem

"The scarcity of clean, accessible public restrooms affects everyone, but it's particularly challenging for individuals with IBD who manage a chronic condition with unpredictable and often urgent symptoms," said Michael Osso, President and CEO, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. "Our collaboration with HealthCentral will spotlight this overlooked public health issue and provide quarterly updates on various topics relevant to the IBD and chronic disease communities. This partnership will offer valuable information and insights, empowering those living with IBD and other chronic conditions."

The lack of public restrooms is just one of the vital issues highlighted in a quarterly series from HealthCentral and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, which will highlight a range of issues, including barriers to care, the role of IBD and the environment, and new perspectives on measuring disease severity.

"At HealthCentral, we're focused on helping people with chronic and serious disease to live their best lives," said Jo-Ann Strangis, Chief Content Officer of HealthCentral. "Through our partnership with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, we can help shed light on the difficulties faced by the IBD community as they move through their daily lives, and provide insights and updates on treatments, environmental impacts, and barriers that hinder people from getting the care and support they need."

About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation:

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization focused on both research and patient support for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the mission of curing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the quality of life for the millions of Americans living with IBD. The Foundation's work is dramatically accelerating the research process, while also providing extensive educational and support resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public.

About HealthCentral

HealthCentral Corporation operates leading digital platforms that serve patients living with chronic illness, their care partners and health professionals who care for them. HealthCentral Corporation's award-winning destinations include HealthCentral, MedCentral, Patient Power, Oncology News Central, TheBody, and TheBodyPro.

Media Contact:
Patricia Garrison
908-591-3452
[email protected]

SOURCE HealthCentral Corp.