Background: Women with diagnosed inherited bleeding disorders have the wright to a normal reproductive life. Even if many efforts are put into the quality of life of such patients and especially regarding their menstrual blood loss, very few studies have focused on their fertility issues except for the evaluation of pregnancy related bleeding.

Aims: This transversal study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of women with inherited bleeding disorders about fertility and contraception.

Methods: It is a transversal study including 100 non pregnant married women diagnosed with inherited bleeding disorder at our hospital and referred for a gynecological consultation. We excluded women under 18 and over 40 and women alredy under contraception. We used a 4 item chart to assess the child bearing desire of the patient, her knowledge about the pregnancy associated risks for her, her awareness of the risk of transmission of her bleeding condition to her descendence and the risks of contraception.

Results: The mean age in our cohort was 25 +/- 3.1 years. Most patients were nulligravida (68%) and only 12 % had at least one child. 88% of the patients reported a desire of parenthood and of child bearing. The barriers to that were their doctor´s advice against pregnancy and their fear of transmitting the illness to their descendence. Only 22% had spoken about their fertility issue with their hematologist and 18% had a previous fertility consultation. Only 5% have started a fertility treatment. But 71% had at least a previous contraception. None had a hormonal one.

Conclusions: Fertility is a still a tabou in young women with inherited bleeding disorders in Tunisia

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ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/fertility-issues-in-women-with-inherited-bleeding-disorders/