(This article is promoted by the GI (Gastrointestinal) Society in association with the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research.)

As the Canadian leaders in providing trusted, evidence-based information on all areas of the gastrointestinal tract, the GI (Gastrointestinal) Society and the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (CSIR) are committed to improving the lives of people with GI and liver conditions by supporting research, advocating for appropriate patient access to health care, and promoting gastrointestinal and liver health.

Although gastrointestinal diseases and disorders are rarely a subject of public discussion, they are highly prevalent in the Canadian population and are the second-most frequent reason for employee absenteeism, surpassed only by the common cold.

There are as many as seven million Canadians with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), more than nine million with functional dyspepsia, as many as eight million with chronic acid reflux (GERD), and a further 233,000 suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). These are only a few examples of the conditions we cover.

We’ve been providing information to the public since 1976 and have a very wide range of free resources, articles, and tools online and in print on these and many other topics:

• Celiac Disease
• Colorectal Cancer
• Constipation
• Crohn’s Disease
• Diverticular Disease
• Functional Dyspepsia
• GERD (reflux & heartburn)
• Hemorrhoids
• Hepatitis B & C
• Hiatus Hernia
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Intestinal Gas
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty
• Liver Disease
• Ostomies
• Pancreatitis
• Ulcer Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Ulcerative Proctitis

We have dynamic websites in English and French, where we post articles, videos, infographics, and more information on these digestive conditions.

We also publish a quarterly gastrointestinal disease and disorder publication, the Inside Tract® | Du coeur au ventre^MC newsletter, which contains current information on GI research, medications, alternative therapies, specific diet and nutrition guidelines, new technology, helpful hints, Health Canada warnings, and explanations of disease processes.

The GI Society creates and distributes a complete series of trusted, popular information pamphlets that explain complex gastrointestinal conditions in lay terms, while answering frequently asked questions. We print hundreds of thousands of these valued educational resources annually, destined for individuals and health facilities in cities and towns throughout Canada.

We also mail out larger packages of information on specific topics and diseases, including relevant articles from our newsletters.

In addition to these publications, the GI Society hosts free BadGut® lectures on a wide variety of topics in an effort to encourage patients, loved ones, and caregivers to be better informed on these diseases and disorders.

We choose well-recognized experts to give each lecture, and a lively question and answer period always follows. Currently, we are offering lectures on irritable bowel syndrome and Hepatitis C over the next few months.

Our staff and advisers also work closely with health care professionals and governments at all levels on behalf of GI patients. Several of our targeted public-awareness campaigns focus on empowering, encouraging, and educating persons living with various GI illnesses.

Currently, we have two open surveys—one for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome, and one for those who have experienced Clostridium difficile infection. You can find the links to these surveys on the homepage of our website.

While on our website, please take a minute to explore our videos.

A BadGut® lecture on irritable bowel syndrome takes place at 7 p.m. at Studio Theatre (11944 Haney Place) in Maple Ridge  on Tuesday (April 5).

Others will be held at 7 p.m. in Room 110 at Surrey Memorial Hospital (13750 96 Avenue) in Surrey on April 27, at 7 p.m. in the Centennial Room at Executive Suites Hotel & Conference Centre (4201 Lougheed Highway) in Burnaby on May 4, and at 7 p.m. in the PoCo Room at the Poco Inn & Suites Hotel (1545 Lougheed Highway) in Port Coquitlam on May 31.

There's also a lecture on Hepatitis C at 7 p.m. at C300 Theatre at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver on May 10. All lectures are free and go here to register in advance. Donations can be made here.