Table 5.
Plans for future childbearing in women with MS.
| Analyisis variables |
Future childbearing desire |
p-value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (n = 230) | Yes (n = 112) | No (n = 118) | |||
| Age (years) | 32.37 (SD 5.56) | 30.28 (SD 5.51) | 34.36 (SD 4.84) | <0.01 | |
| Years since MS diagnosis, n (%) | ≤5 years | 153 (43.6%) | 83 (74.1%) | 70 (59.3%) | 0.02 |
| >5 years | 77 (23%) | 29 (25.9%) | 48 (40.7%) | ||
| PDDS, n (%) | <3 | 197 (85.6%) | 102 (91.1%) | 95 (80.5%) | 0.03 |
| ≥3 | 33 (14.4%) | 10 (8.9%) | 23 (19.5%) | ||
| Current MS treatment, n (%) | None | 29 (12.6%) | 12 (10.7%) | 17 (14.4%) | NA |
| Injectable | 38 (16.5%) | 26 (23.2%) | 12 (10.2%) | ||
| Oral | 118 (51.4%) | 58 (51.8%) | 60 (50.8%) | ||
| MA & Cladribine | 39 (16.9%) | 16 (14.3%) | 23 (19.5%) | ||
| Others | 6 (2.6%) | 0 | 6 (5.1%) | ||
| Childbearing before MS diagnosis, n (%) | No | 169 (73.5%) | 98 (87.5%) | 71 (60.2%) | <0.01 |
| Yes | 61 (26.5%) | 14 (12.5%) | 47 (39.8%) | ||
| Pregnancy after MS diagnosis, n (%) | No | 194 (84.3%) | 97 (86.6%) | 97 (82.2%) | 0.37 |
| Yes | 36 (15.7%) | 15 (13.4%) | 21 (17.8%) | ||
| Neurologist addressing family planning, n (%) | No | 96 (41.7%) | 37 (33%) | 59 (50%) | 0.01 |
| Yes | 134 (58.3%) | 75 (67%) | 59 (50%) | ||
Note: This analysis was carried out in WwMS ≤ 40 years.
SD: standard deviation; MS: multiple sclerosis; EDSS: Expanded disability status scale; MA: monoclonal antibodies; Others: azathioprine and rituximab; Injectable: glatiramer acetate, interferon. Oral drugs: fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate and teriflunomide; Monoclonal antibodies: ocrelizumab, alemtuzumab and natalizumab; PDDS: Patient Determined Disease Steps scale. NA: not applicable.Bold numbers mark the degree of significance.