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New data presented at the 2015 American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting revealed that only half of women with cystic fibrosis (CF) report using contraception.
RELATED: Investigational CF Drug Designated Orphan Drug
Researchers from the Perleman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported that reproductive health is a growing issue as women with CF are living longer into their 30s and beyond. The team surveyed 53 female participants aged 18-45 years. Among those surveyed, 83% reported being sexually active and 27% reported they had been pregnant. Of the pregnancies, 22% were terminated due to either unplanned pregnancy or suboptimal health status. Only 49% of participants reported using contraception, in contrast to 65% of women in the same general U.S. population. Data further showed females with more severe CF disease were less likely to use contraception.
Physicians need to discuss contraception more with this population so that women can avoid unintended pregnancy given the context of a heritable disease that may be exacerbated by pregnancy, researchers concluded.
For more information visit ACOG.org.
