Do you know what interstitial cystitis is?
yes
no
I wanted to make another informative post about interstitial cystitis as I realized I forgot to in September, which was IC awareness month (thank adhd)
What is interstitial cystitis?
Interstitial cystitis is a chronic pain disorder that causes pain in the bladder (and sometimes pelvis) as well as pressure in the bladder and pain while peeing.
It also includes an increased need to urinate — there are individuals with this disorder who have to pee up to 60 times per day. Some people also experience pain with sex or increased pain during menstruation.
The disorder is often mistaken for a UTI or other infections at first.
A good chunk of people with IC have other similar disorders alongside it in nearby areas, such as endometriosis or IBS.
TL;DR it’s like IBS of the bladder, kind of. You can read more here. There is no cure and the cause is unknown. There are medications and surgeries that can potentially decrease symptoms.
What issues do we face?
Lack of public bathrooms impacts the ability to travel.
Having to pay to access a bathroom because it is customers only, which results from the above.
The disability is often invisible (depends on severity) which leads to judgement and misunderstanding.
Symptoms can greatly increase difficulties at the workplace if accommodations are refused.
There is a ton of medical misogyny both interpersonally and structurally due to many patients being women. This also contributes to a lack of research.
Many people aren’t aware of what the disorder is, even in disabled communities, which can lead to very frustrating situations and conversations.
Being stink-eyed at for having to get up multiple times during a show, proceeding, etc. I understand this can be frustrating, but in my opinion this comes down to venues needing to provide accessible seating on the aisle side close to more bathrooms. It’s not our fault.
Everything else that comes with ableism.
How can you help?
Spread awareness. When organizing community events, make sure there’s an accessible bathroom nearby. Don’t judge people for going to the bathroom repeatedly. Basically, just keep us in mind and be nice.
It would mean a lot to me if people could spread this information.



















