title: Sexuality, pre-conception counseling and urological management of pregnancy for young women with spina bifida.
abstract: A great number of newborns with spina bifida now survive with a growing life expectancy. Support with regard to sexual issues is essential in the management of adolescents with spina bifida, who require specific knowledge of sexual problems related to their disability. Women with spina bifida are usually fertile and need pre-conception counseling. Furthermore, compared to healthy women they have a higher chance of conceiving a child with spina bifida, so they are treated with periconceptional folic acid supplements. In addition pregnancies in women with spina bifida require adequate management of secondary conditions, mainly urological issues, which are exacerbated during pregnancy. This article gives an overview of sexual education, sex functioning and sexual activity among adolescents with spina bifida. Moreover, we aim to support young women with spina bifida, providing pre-conception counseling and practical guidelines essential for the urological management of their pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Telefono Rosso, Teratology Information Service, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sacro Cuore Catholic University, Rome, Italy. dadavis@libero.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noia
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Triarico
authors.forename: Tomasella
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quattrocchi
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: Brigida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012736:Sex Education; D019529:Sexuality / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000209:etiology