Reproductive and contraceptive knowledge among women with hypertensive and cardiac disease

Introduction: This study aimed to assess reproductive knowledge and use of contraception in women of reproductive age with cardiac disease or chronic hypertension attending outpatient clinics. Methods: This was a prospective descriptive study. Women aged between 18 and 45 years attending cardiac or hypertension clinics at Groote Schuur Hospital, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain Day Hospitals were recruited. The study tool was an administered questionnaire which included social, demographic and medical information, knowledge about their condition and the contraceptive history. Results: Two hundred women were interviewed, 100 with cardiac disease and 100 with chronic hypertension. Among the 84 cardiac and 90 hypertensive women who had previously been pregnant, there were 193 and 262 pregnancies respectively. Of these participants, 72% cardiac and 70% hypertensive women reported at least one unplanned pregnancy. Unemployed hypertensive women were more likely to have unplanned pregnancies (81%), than their employed counterparts (65%) (p<0.03). In the cardiac group employment did not affect planning of pregnancies. Forty cardiac and 46 hypertensive women were married. Married women in both groups had more planned pregnancies (46% cardiac, 43% hypertensive) in contrast to 10 Out of 200 women, only 2 were unaware of any contraceptive methods. One hundred and fifty eight participants were using modern contraceptive methods. None of the women accessed contraception at their routine medical clinics and less than half had received contraceptive advice there. Conclusion: This study showed that many pregnancies among participants with medical conditions were unplanned, and there was poor knowledge about the impact of their medical condition on pregnancy. There is an unmet need for reproductive health education in women with medical conditions, and ideally this should be part of the holistic care of any woman with a significant medical condition.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Giyose, Nwabisa

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• van der Spuy, Zephne Margaret

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13113

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13113