09 September is PAO Awareness Day
Taking PAO awareness to Osteoporosis 2026
Marking PAO Awareness Day at Osteoporosis 2026 in Manchester, a major UK conference bringing together healthcare professionals and researchers working in bone health.
RESEARCHADVOCACY
9/25/20264 min read
9 September 2026 was an important day for Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis (PAO) UK.
It was the first year we marked PAO Awareness Day, and the date coincided with the opening of Osteoporosis 2026 in Manchester, a major UK conference bringing together healthcare professionals and researchers working in osteoporosis and bone health.
For PAO UK, this was an important opportunity to take our awareness message directly to the professionals who may be involved in recognising, diagnosing and managing Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis (PAO).
Raising awareness, providing advocacy and sharing research are at the heart of what PAO UK was established to do. Having a presence at a major professional osteoporosis conference allowed us to speak directly to a wide range of healthcare professionals, share the latest research and highlight some of the key signs that can help identify PAO.
Research, expertise and PAO
There was a strong PAO presence at Osteoporosis 2026, with oral and poster presentations from members of the PAO UK clinical and research community.
Dr Sarah Hardcastle, Head of PAO UK's Medical & Scientific Committee, was invited to present “How do I manage pregnancy and lactation associated osteoporosis?” This is the term used more widely internationally for the condition.
Professor Stuart Ralston, PAO UK Co-Chair, presented on the role of genetic testing in people with osteoporosis in routine clinical practice. He recommended that genetic testing should be considered in people with early onset osteoporosis, including those with Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis.
Dr Nataliya Gak also presented new research exploring the impact of pregnancy and lactation-associated osteoporosis on women and their partners. The study was described as:
“the first study to comprehensively assess the physical and psychosocial burden of PLO using a mixed-methods, case-control design and the first to explore the frequently overlooked experiences of partners.”
The findings demonstrated that PLO has severe consequences for both affected women and their partners, highlighting the need for increased awareness, earlier diagnosis, improved management and holistic support.
Professor Alex Comninos, one of PAO UK's expert clincial committee, chaired the conference organising committee for the two-day event. He was also senior author on Dr Gak's research poster and an author on research presented by Dr Bubbear on rare bone diseases more generally, of which PAO is one.
There were also other presentations relevant to PAO, including research on exercise and mechanical loading on bone, alongside a range of practical ‘How To’ sessions.
All of the conference abstracts can be searched and viewed through Bone Abstracts.
Nine facts for PAO Awareness Day
Throughout the two-day conference, PAO UK had a display stand where delegates could find out more about the condition, our charity and the latest research.
As part of our first PAO Awareness Day on 9 September, we highlighted nine key facts that healthcare professionals need to know about PAO, alongside information about the charity and the condition.
PAO UK Co-Chair Karen Ann Whitehead MBE was at the stand throughout the conference, supported at different points by volunteers including her husband Martin Whitehead, and PAO Mum and volunteer Valerie Horwood.
This gave us the opportunity to have conversations with healthcare professionals about the research being presented at the conference, as well as to share the experiences of people affected by PAO.
Professor David Reid MBE, one of PAO UK's Trustees, also liaised with delegates during the event, including at the PAO UK display stand.
Reaching the professionals who need to know about PAO
More than 650 people had pre-registered for Osteoporosis 2026, with further delegates registering on site.
The PAO UK stand attracted healthcare professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, including endocrinologists, rheumatologists, researchers, nurses, pharmacologists, radiographers, radiologists, GPs, physiotherapists and DXA operators.
For some delegates, this was their first time hearing about Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis.
Many left the conference with a better understanding of the condition and, importantly, the key red flags that can help identify and diagnose PAO. This is particularly important for frontline healthcare professionals such as GPs, who may be among the first people a woman speaks to when she develops symptoms.
We also heard from different specialists who had seen varying numbers of women with PAO in hospitals and clinics across the UK. Several reported that they were recently seeing more patients with the condition, which they attributed to the awareness-raising work of PAO UK.
They also told us they were referring patients to the PAO UK website and social media channels for further information about the condition and peer support.
There was strong support for the newly registered charity, and the delegates we spoke to consistently told us they were leaving Osteoporosis 2026 more aware and informed about Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis.
Continuing the conversation
PAO Awareness Day is now an annual date for PAO UK, providing an opportunity each year to bring further attention to the condition and the experiences of those affected by it.
But awareness-raising continues throughout the year.
On 23 September, Karen and Martin took the PAO awareness message to maternity healthcare professionals in Cardiff. PAO UK had a display and research poster highlighting the key red flags that frontline healthcare professionals need to know to help identify women with PAO, as part of our ongoing #measurethatmum campaign.
We will also have a display at the Rare Disease Summit in Cambridge on 7 October, where we will be raising awareness of PAO as a rare condition.
The charity is continuing its programme of virtual events too. These include a peer support session around World Osteoporosis Day on 20 October and an Ask the Experts session with Professor Stuart Ralston on 16 December. Further virtual events will continue throughout 2027.
Our work with healthcare professionals will continue too.
Through our new affiliation with the Society for Endocrinology, PAO UK will have a further three-day exhibition stand at its major annual endocrinology event in Harrogate from 8–10 March 2027.
Keeping PAO on the agenda
Osteoporosis 2026 brought together healthcare professionals and researchers from across the UK, giving PAO UK an important opportunity to raise awareness of a condition that many delegates had not previously encountered.
The conversations at the PAO UK stand, together with the research presented during the conference, showed why continued awareness among healthcare professionals is so important.
For PAO UK, marking 9 September as an annual PAO Awareness Day gives us another opportunity each year to bring the condition to the attention of healthcare professionals, researchers, women affected by PAO and their families.
We will continue to raise awareness, share research, advocate for better recognition and support women and families affected by Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis.
