Family Planning Concerns Among Women With Psoriasis: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional, Multicenter Study

Abstract

Background and objective: A significant proportion of women of childbearing age have psoriasis. The aim of this study was to examine family planning concerns in this population.

Material and methods: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted between March 2020 and October 2021. We collected sociodemographic data and analyzed responses to a family planning questionnaire administered to women aged 18 to 45 years with plaque psoriasis who were candidates for systemic treatment.

Results: We studied 153 patients (mean [SD] age, 35.4 [8.0] years; mean disease duration, 16.7 years) being treated at 11 Spanish hospitals. Overall, 38.4% of women were considered to have moderate to severe psoriasis by their physicians; perceived severity ratings were significantly higher among women. Psoriasis affected the women's desire to become pregnant or led to their delaying pregnancy in 1 in 3 respondents. They were concerned that their condition might worsen if they had to discontinue or switch treatment or that the treatment might harm the baby. Approximately half of the women had not received family planning counseling from their physicians, and this was more likely to be the case among never-pregnant women. Women on biologic therapy (58.7%) had better psoriasis control and a better quality of life than women on other treatments. Their sexual health was also less affected.

Conclusions: Women with psoriasis have numerous family planning concerns, which in some cases can lead them to delay pregnancy or affect their desire to become pregnant. Dermatologists need to receive better training regarding family planning in women with psoriasis so that they can provide their patients with more and better information.

Keywords: Anomalías inducidas por medicamentos; Anticuerpos monoclonales; Drug-induced abnormalities; Family planning; Malentendido terapéutico; Monoclonal antibodies; Planificación familiar; Psoriasis; Reproductive health; Salud reproductiva; Treatment misconceptions.