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Journalists Recognised for Excellence in Reporting on One of the Last Medical Taboos

London (ots/PRNewswire)

- Winners of the First Embrace Journalism Award for Reporting on
Urinary Incontinence and Launch of the Second Embrace Award Announced
Three journalists from South Africa, Poland and the United States
today received the Embrace Award, a global initiative that recognizes
accurate, responsible and sensitive reporting on urinary incontinence
(UI). The independent Embrace Award judging panel consisting of
leading health journalists and incontinence specialists selected the
journalists Mandy Collins (True Love magazine, South Africa), Pawel
Walewski (Polityka, Poland) and Professor Barry Weiss (American
Family Physician, USA) to receive this prestigious award.
Heightened awareness about UI through articles like those
recognized with the Embrace Award today should help to empower women
to seek help and talk about their condition with their doctor,
partner, friends and family. UI is a medical condition described by
the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a widespread global disease
and one of the last medical taboos,(1) which affects one in every
three women at some time in their lives.(2,3) UI imposes a
significant emotional and physical burden on women who suffer from
it,(4) making them afraid to undertake everyday activities such as
playing with their children, laughing with their friends or simply
leaving their home for fear of an accidental leak.
There are three main types of UI. The most common in women is
stress urinary incontinence (SUI), which involves the accidental
leakage of urine during physical activities such as coughing,
sneezing, laughing, lifting or exercising.(4,5) The other types are
urge urinary incontinence (UUI), the complaint of involuntary leakage
accompanied by or immediately preceded by a sudden compelling desire
to pass urine, which may be difficult to defer, and mixed urinary
incontinence, the complaint of involuntary leakage due to a
combination of SUI and UUI symptoms.(5)
Embrace Award entries came from 14 countries: Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Mexico, Poland,
Slovenia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the USA. The chairman
of the Embrace judging panel, Professor Philip Van Kerrebroeck,
University Hospital, Maastricht, praised the winning entries: "All
three journalists have accurately reported on urinary incontinence in
a sensitive way. I hope that those who have read these articles took
comfort from knowing that there are many others out there suffering
in silence from this debilitating condition and that help is
available if they come forward and speak to a healthcare
professional."
Collins was awarded first prize for her article "The unmentionable
ailment," which comprehensively explains UI and its effect on women's
daily lives in an easily accessible and emotionally engaging way.
Walewski received second prize for his article "It is no shame, it is
a disease" on the need to overcome the shame and embarrassment
associated with UI. Weiss was awarded third prize for evaluating UI
treatment options and highlighting the importance of primary care
physicians in appropriately treating UI sufferers in his article
"Selecting medication for the treatment of urinary incontinence."
These journalists have won trips to the homelands of some of the
world's most renowned authors, including Russia (Leo Tolstoy), the
USA (Ernest Hemingway) and Ireland (James Joyce). To view the
winners' articles, please visit the Embrace Award website at
www.embrace-award.org.
The following journalists were recognized as "Highly Commended":
Claudia Flores Zurita from Revista Kena (Mexico) for her article
"Female incontinence: A silent reality" and Marie-Catherine Mousseau
for her article "Stress urinary incontinence -- Doctors have a huge
role to play" in the Irish Medical Times (Ireland).
The second Embrace Award is now open for entries until June 2006.
Journalists from print, online and broadcast media are welcome to
submit an entry to the award on all topics relating to the cause,
prevalence, management and impact of urinary incontinence. The
Embrace Award is jointly sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and
Boehringer Ingelheim.
For further information about the Embrace Award and to obtain an
application form beginning 1 September, please visit
www.embrace-award.org or contact the Award Secretariat at the
following: email:  embrace@embrace-award.org, tel: +44-207-108-6522 or
fax: +44-207-108-6501.
Notes to Editors:
Judging Panel
The judging panel for the Embrace Award consisted of:
-- Professor Philip Van Kerrebroeck (The Netherlands), University
Hospital, Maastricht (Chairman of Judging Panel)
-- Jeanette Haslam (United Kingdom), physiotherapist, Association
for Continence Advice & European Network of Continence Organisations
-- Dr. Ulrike Hennemann (Germany), Chief Editor and CEO, Medical
Tribune
-- Dr. Thomas Stuttaford (United Kingdom), Medical Correspondent,
The Times
-- Adriana Hammeken (Mexico), Broadcast Journalist, What Women
Keep in Secret
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a
growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by
applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and
from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers --
through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most
urgent medical needs.
About Boehringer and Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it
operates globally with 144 affiliates in 45 countries and
approximately 36,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the
family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing,
manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value
for human and veterinary medicine. In 2004, Boehringer Ingelheim
posted net sales of 8.2 billion euro while spending nearly one fifth
of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines
on research and development. For more information please visit
www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
1. Voelker R, International group seeks to dispel incontinence
"taboo", JAMA 1998, Sep 16;280(11):951-953.
2. Hunskaar S, Lose G, Sykes D, Voss S. The prevalence of urinary
incontinence in women in four European countries. BJU Int. 2004
Feb;93(3):324-30.
3. Minassian VA, Drutz HP, Al-Badr A. Urinary incontinence as a
worldwide problem. Int J Gynecol Obstet 2003;82:327-38.
4. Fultz NH, Burgio K, Diokno AC, et al. Burden of stress urinary
incontinence for community-dwelling women. Am J Obstet Gynecol
2003;189:1275-82.
5. Abrams P, Cardozo L, Fall M, Griffiths D, et al. The
standardisation of terminology of lower urinary tract function:
report from the standardisation sub-committee of the International
Continence Society. Neurourol Urodyn 2002;21(2):167-78.
LONDON, August 25 /PRNewswire/ --
(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050825/SHIRELOGO )

Contact:

Julia Meyer-Kleinmann of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH,
+49-6132-77-82-71; Christine Van Marter of Eli Lilly and Company,
+1-317-655-2249; Madeleine Weinert of Shire Health International,
+44-20-7108-6522/ Photo: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050825/SHIRELOGO , PRN Photo
Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com