Nephrologists miss opportunities to discuss contraceptive use with women with chronic kidney disease

Discussions about contraceptive use for women with chronic kidney disease are often avoided by nephrologists, according to University of Cincinnati data presented this week at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week global meeting in Houston — and reported on the Healio platform.

Women with CKD have higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, sexual dysfunction and menstrual irregularities, reported Rachael Nolan, PhD, associate professor-educator in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences in the College of Medicine. She collaborated with Silvi Shah, MD, the study’s lead author and associate professor in the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Internal Medicine and a UC Health transplant nephrologist. Nedas Semaska, the study’s first author, is a third-year College of Medicine student.

Despite well-established risks, conversations about contraceptive use are limited between nephrologists and their patients, with only 35% of nephrologists discussing fertility with their patients, the researchers said.

“Nephrologists recognize the importance of discussing reproductive health with women with kidney disease but often feel underprepared or constrained by time, resources and interprofessional coordination,” Nolan told Healio.

To better understand these communication barriers, the researchers conducted semistructured interviews with 25 U.S. nephrologists.

Four themes emerged, including discomfort, limited training and confusing guidance. Read an explanation of each theme on the Healio platform.

Featured image at top: iStock.