Contraceptive use and reproductive counseling in systemic Lupus erythematosus patients

Our aim in this study is to evaluate the prevalence of family planning service and birth control method use, complications experienced during pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes in patients followed with a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus in our center, and to reveal the effect of family planning service on pregnancy complications and negative pregnancy outcomes. Our study included 104 female patients who were diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus according to European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology 2019 classification criteria at Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Department. The patients' sociodemographic and sociocultural characteristics, clinical and laboratory characteristics, complications during pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, whether they received family planning services, whether they used birth control methods, and the method used were recorded. The effect of family planning service on pregnancy outcomes and pregnancy complications was evaluated. It was determined that the majority of the patients included in the study did not receive family planning services and did not use effective birth control methods. It was determined that the average age of patients receiving family planning services was higher and that the most frequently used birth control method in patients actively using birth control methods was the male condom. It was found that pregnancy complications and negative pregnancy outcomes were less common in patients receiving family planning services. 43 When the effect of antiphospholipid antibody positivity on the rate of receiving family planning services was evaluated, it was seen that antiphospholipid antibody positive patients had a higher rate of receiving family planning services. Based on the results obtained from our study, more importance should be given to family planning services and birth control methods, especially in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease of the reproductive age.