#3-85E. Mind the Gap: Contraceptive Practices in Rheumatic Diseases (BMC Rheumatol, 2026)

When prescribing teratogenic medications to women of childbearing age with rheumatic diseases, are we truly ensuring adequate contraceptive coverage and counseling?12 This cross-sectional study thoroughly evaluated the prevalence of effective contraception among patients with various systemic autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions, revealing that among women not actively trying to conceive, only 63% were utilizing highly effective contraceptive methods. The most striking clinical finding is the alarming disconnect between medical risk and preventive action: surprisingly, contraceptive utilization did not significantly increase even among patients receiving teratogenic therapies or those facing elevated maternal and fetal obstetric risks. While interpreting these findings, we must cautiously consider potential memory and selection biases inherent to the self-reported questionnaire design. Nevertheless, this paper serves as a crucial wake-up call for rheumatologists, underscoring the urgent necessity to systematically integrate proactive preconception counseling, reliable contraceptive education, and robust interdisciplinary shared-care pathways with gynecologists into our routine clinical practice to prevent high-risk, unplanned pregnancies.

Citation: Uthurriague M. Prevalence of effective contraceptive use among patients with rheumatic diseases: a descriptive study. BMC Rheumatology. 2026. DOI: 10.1186/s41927-026-00616-0

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