IC: Its Emotional Impact

To learn more about the emotional burden of IC, Ortho Women's Health & Urology™ conducted the first IC patient survey* involving 589 self-reporting patients with IC. The survey found that:

  • 58 percent said their IC diagnosis took a year or more
  • 56 percent reported seeing 3 or more healthcare professionals before diagnosis
  • One third of survey participants reported being told their condition may be primarily psychological, and one fifth said they were referred to a mental health professional
  • IC patients are affected emotionally — reporting feeling frustrated (95 percent), annoyed or angry (85 percent), depressed (75 percent), alone/isolated (67 percent) and embarrassed (67 percent)

*About the Survey

Sponsored by Ortho Women's Health & Urology™, the "Unmasking the Many Faces of IC" patient survey was conducted online by KRC Research from September 14 - 28, 2007. A total of 589 self-reported IC patients responded to the survey from a database of patients who had opted in to receive IC-related communications. Nearly all respondents were female (98 percent).