Reproductive health awareness and family planning practices among women with systemic autoimmune diseases: survey...

Systemic autoimmune diseases can adversely affect the health of childbearing women and pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, some of theadministered medications are teratogenic, prompting international rheumatological societies to recommend effective contraception and preconception counselling. Given the limited structured education in this field, this study aimed to assess reproductive health awareness and perceptions of family planning among women with systemic autoimmune diseases. A survey-based study was conducted at the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. The sample included 165 women aged 18-50 years who completed the ReproKnow questionnaire assessing reproductive health knowledge, while sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained through interviews and medical records. The median ReproKnow score was 5/10 correct answers indicating moderate knowledge of the studied topic. Greater reproductive health awareness was observed among patients with higher education levels and those diagnosed with SLE or vasculitis. Although one-third of participants stated that their diagnosis affected family planning, only one-fifth reported consistent contraception use, even among those receiving teratogenic medications. Knowledge of contraception efficacy was low (25%), but associated with consistent use. Substantial gaps remain in contraception knowledge and use, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions and further research to improve reproductive health counselling and contraception practice.