The AUA Foundation is taking steps to create awareness about urologic conditions that are threatening the health of millions of Americans. More than ever, we are reaching out across the country to aide patients and the public in the prevention, detection and treatment of these conditions.

Assessing Prostate Cancer Risk

As part of our outreach effort in 2007, we created a special on-line tool for prostate cancer. The Prostate Golf game is a free on-line education and risk assessment tool. To date, thousands of users have logged onto www.UrologyHealth.org to answer questions about their health and lifestyle, take a few swings and get some tips from our “pro” on how they can reduce their risk of being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. Log on to see what you can do to “improve your game.”

National Prostate Health Awareness Month

September is National Prostate Health Awareness Month and in 2007 the Foundation teamed up with the Men’s Health Network and GlaxoSmithKline to offer free prostate screenings for Washington Redskins football fans, right in the locker room at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C. The campaign reached out to all fans, but a special effort was made to reach African American men in the D.C. area, who have higher risks of being diagnosed with more advanced prostate cancer. Football legend, Joe Thiesman, former Redskins player and now sports broadcaster, stopped by to encourage men to get their PSA (a blood test for prostate health) and DRE (digital rectal exam to check for enlarged prostate and prostate cancer) exams. Fernando Bianco, M.D., Chief of Urologic Oncology at George Washington University Hospital, brought a team of urologists to help with the free screening event.

On the Road and On the Air

Prostate health was just one of the many urologic health concerns addressed by the AUA Foundation. Our patient education and outreach staff traveled to bring educational materials and programs to individuals with urologic conditions such as incontinence, bladder and prostate cancer, and to educate the public in general about urologic health concerns. The AUA Foundation sponsored or participated in programs in Florida, North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, Maryland and Washington, D.C., in 2007.

Hundreds of participants at the AARP Life @ 50+ Event & Expo in Boston stopped by our booth to learn more about prostate, bladder, kidney and sexual health issues. Just as many health professionals visited our exhibit at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Throughout the year, leading urologic experts from around the country joined us for Life Love & Health radio interviews and on-line Webinars that you can find recorded on our Web site, www.UrologyHealth.org/spotlight. So, you could say the Foundation was running hard to take a swing at tackling urologic health issues in 2007. And we have so much more planned for 2008.