301. Let's Talk UTI with Laura Helgeson

Laura Helgeson, founder of Let’s Talk UTI, joins me to shed light on a topic that affects millions of women yet remains widely misunderstood. We’re talking all things urinary tract infections—what they are, why they’re often misdiagnosed, and how to get the care you deserve.

Laura shares her personal journey with chronic UTIs and how it led her to create the first U.S.-based patient advocacy group focused on this issue.

We dive into the gaps in traditional care, the emotional toll of feeling dismissed, and how women can better advocate for themselves at the doctor’s office.

If you’ve ever struggled with recurrent UTIs—or want to better understand and support someone who has—this conversation is packed with practical insights, validation, and hope.

Laura is the founder of Let’s Talk UTI, the only US-based, patient advocacy organization shining a light on the issues associated with UTI, while providing valuable insights, supporting research, and furthering education to drive meaningful change. Her life-long experience of having UTIs led to the creation of Let’s Talk UTI in 2023. Let’s Talk UTI and three of the world’s patient-centered organizations (Live UTI Free, Chronic UTI Australia and Chronic UTI Campaign) have formed the Alliance for Patient-centered UTI Research (APUR). Together, we are advancing the understanding and management of UTI through patient-centered research and advocacy.

Since the founding of Let’s Talk UTI, Laura has presented at a CAIRIBU Connections meeting presenting “UTI Through the Lifespan - a Patient Perspective.” She also spoke at the NIDDK sponsored KUH Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She spoke at UW Madison in June 2024 for the Summer Program for Undergraduate Urology Research and, on behalf of APUR, at the UTI Global Alliance meeting in Columbus, OH in July 2024. Her story was recently featured in the Minnesota Women’s Press.

Laura was formerly a professional classical musician and is an ordained, interfaith minister.Website: letstalkuti.org Instagram @letstalkutiFacebook: Let’s Talk UTI

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