Submitted by Angie Fri 01/01/2010
Tweet A new research project (albeit a small one) came across my desk this week. An infertility clinic studied just under 100 women getting ready for a gonadatropin/IUI cycle and found that a number of them had a history of eating disorders. In fact, seventeen participants (20.7%) met criteria for a past or current eating disorder, which is five times higher than the U.S. lifetime prevalence rate. None of the participants who met the criteria for an eating disorder had disclosed their past or current diagnosis to their reproductive endocrinologist. The researchers concluded that an eating disorder screening tool should be included in the initial intake, because these patients may be at a higher risk for negative maternal and fetal outcomes than non–eating disorder patients. Additionally, patients with a past or current eating disorder may not disclose this information to reproductive health care providers, which may limit providers’ ability to provide appropriate medical and psychologic referrals. The message is an important one. Be completely honest with your health care provider about your medical history – even if it doesn’t seem relevant to you. More information on the study can be found here: http://fertilityportal.com/the-prevalence-of-eating-disorders-in-inferti…
