What Is the Unsilenced Movement?

Unsilenced
6 days ago
4 min read

The Unsilenced Movement is a grassroots organization founded by former patients of voiding cystourethrograms (VCUGs), a common and often traumatic pediatric exam that many children experience as child sex abuse (CSA).

Since 2023, this volunteer-led movement has amplified the voices of thousands of survivors around the globe, including the UK, U.S., Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Russia, Iceland, Ireland, France, Finland, Croatia, and beyond.

The movement includes:

Support groups and community spaces for survivors.
Resources and advocacy to change how VCUGs are discussed and administered.
Activism opportunities allowing survivors and their allies to contribute to change.

What Is the Unsilenced Movement’s Mission?

Since its launch, the Unsilenced Movement has focused on reforming pediatric standards around the VCUG procedure. Their five-part mission emphasizes partnership, not blame, to unite families and healthcare providers in improving trauma-informed care for future generations of pediatric patients.

Below is a brief overview of the movement’s mission:

Standardize VCUG protocols, including referral criteria, sedation, pain management, medical necessity, frequency, and follow-up.
Retire VCUGs as the default “gold standard” when safer, equally effective alternatives (like ceVUS) exist.
Ensure informed consent by holding providers accountable for sharing all relevant information.
Inform caregivers and patients about alternative options and less traumatic treatments.
Prevent unethical discouragement of those alternatives by providers.

"I’m the mother of a VCUG survivor. She now suffers from PTSD. I recently found the Unsilenced Movement and it has changed our lives. We eagerly absorb the content these brave survivors post. They are an inspiration to my daughter. She finally found her people!"

A VCUG survivor sitting across from a mirror, reflecting on healing journey.

What Has the Unsilenced Movement Accomplished?

Since its founding, the Unsilenced Movement has grown from a small group of survivors into a global organization that’s driving awareness, advocacy, and research around VCUG trauma. This powerful, multi-channel movement is reshaping how we understand and care for VCUG survivors through advocacy, creative media, community building, and healing.

Some of their most notable accomplishments include:

Global Community Growth

In just one year alone, the movement connected with thousands of individuals across nearly 40 countries—a remarkable reach for a 100% volunteer-led, remote collective of former VCUG patients, parents, and healthcare allies.

Survivor Platforms

A dedicated “Survivors’ Corner” offers free resources, support groups, creative submission options, crisis information, survivor stories, and healing tools for former patients recovering from VCUG trauma. Survivors can also connect through moderated digital channels for peer support, including WhatsApp subgroups, Reddit, Discord, Facebook, and more.

Members can access these resources by subscribing to the website.

Media & Storytelling Through Film

The Unsilenced Movement was the subject of two award-winning documentary films released in 2024. “Unsilenced” (dir. Isabelle Primavera) won “Best Short Documentary” at the New York International Women Festival and was selected as a Semi-Finalist at the London Women Film Festival and Milan Indie Film Festival.

Stream UNSILENCED here.

“More Than A Test: The Rise of the Unsilenced Movement” (dir. Shelby Smith) was officially selected for 2024 Touchstone Independent Film Festival, Women’s International Film Festival (WIM-N), and Toronto International Women Film Festival. It was a finalist at the Independent Shorts Awards and won the “Social Impact” award at Activists without Borders (UK).

The film was nominated for “Best Producer” and “Best Director” at IndieX Film Fest, where it also won “Best Editing” and “Best Short Documentary.” It was awarded “Best Documentary” at AltFF, Documentaries without Borders International Film Fest, and Indie Shorts Mag Short Film Festival.

Stream MORE THAN A TEST here.

"Unsilenced Voices" Podcast

In addition to watching survivor interviews on YouTube, you can also tune in to the “Unsilenced Voices” podcast on Apple Podcasts. It includes deeply personal accounts from survivors navigating PTSD, self-harm, intimacy issues, and other challenges after VCUG trauma.

Groundbreaking Research Initiatives

Andrea McDonald, a former patient and M.P.H. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, conducted the first long-term study on VCUG trauma. The results highlight the severe psychological impact of voiding cystourethrograms, which often persist well into adulthood.

You can watch the brief 10-minute presentation here.

Community Outreach

In May 2023, “r/VCUG_Unsilenced” was created as a safe space for survivors to connect. Membership hit 100 within a few months and now includes over 500 members, signaling the movement’s rapid early expansion. The organization also produces regular blogs, social media posts, and informative materials for patients and parents alike.

Inclusive, Trauma-Informed Engagement

The Unsilenced Movement hosted its first-ever VCUG survivor support group in May 2023. The community meets monthly over Zoom, where former patients can connect and heal in a face-to-face setting. Support groups are free to attend. Registering with a valid email is required.

“I rebuilt myself, piece by piece, for years... For every burst of rage that I feel towards what this test took from me, I will give an equal amount of compassion to the little girl inside of me who had to survive it.” —former patient