Reproductive Planning and Contraception for Women with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
Women with chronic medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy outcomes for these conditions are best during stable disease remission. Unfortunately, women with inflammatory bowel disease are equally as likely as the general population to have unintended pregnancies. Patients look to their gastroenterologist for contraceptive counseling; however, the current standards for disease management do not prioritize this topic. Guidelines based on available evidence and expert opinion, such as the Centers for Disease Control U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, exist to help practitioners provide safe and effective contraception to women with chronic medical conditions. If health care providers were to educate themselves and screen women with inflammatory bowel disease for risk of unintended pregnancy, there would be a reduction in the number of unintended pregnancies and subsequent adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes.
*Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine; †University of Utah School of Medicine; and ‡Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Lori M
LM
Gawron
Jessica
J
Sanders
Katelyn P
KP
Steele
Ann D
AD
Flynn
D003267:Contraception; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D060728:Reproductive Health