Gynecologic Considerations for Adolescents and Young Women With Cardiac Conditions: ACOG Committee Opinion Summary, Number 813.

Abstract

Congenital heart conditions are the most common type of congenital anomaly, affecting nearly 1% of U.S. births, or approximately 40,000 neonates, each year. As more female patients with congenital heart disease enter adolescence and adulthood, there is a growing need to address reproductive health in this population. Addressing contraceptive needs is particularly important for adolescents and young women with congenital heart disease, many of whom may have limited knowledge about how their condition or medications may affect their long-term health, including reproductive health. Decisions regarding the most appropriate contraceptive method require discussion of future pregnancy desires and personal preferences, as well as critical assessment of the patient's underlying disease and the relative risks and benefits of the contraceptive option. Because of the morbidity associated with pregnancy in individuals with cardiac conditions, the initiation of contraception should not be delayed due to concerns about potential contraindication. For those patients with valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, or hypertension, it is reasonable to initiate a progestin-only method until clarification of the safety of an estrogen-containing method is determined in conjunction with the patient's cardiologist. Contraceptive counseling should be patient-centered, free of coercion, and should address the most common misperceptions about contraceptive methods in a way that is age-appropriate and compatible with the patient's health literacy. To optimize maternal and infant health outcomes, planning for future pregnancies in these patients should be done in collaboration with maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists and cardiology specialists. Patients who continue their pregnancy should be referred to a pregnancy heart team.