Contraceptive Use Low Among Women With Kidney Disease

TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Contraceptive use is low among women of reproductive age undergoing dialysis for end-stage kidney disease, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in Kidney Medicine.

Silvi Shah, M.D., from the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues used data from the U.S. Renal Data System (2005 through 2014) to identify women who for the entire year were aged 15 to 44 years, on dialysis, and with Medicare as the primary payer. Rates of contraceptive use among 35,732 eligible women were calculated.

The researchers found that the rate of contraceptive use was 5.3 percent of person-years. During the study period, contraceptive use increased from 4.21 to 6.54 percent. Contraceptive use was higher in women aged 15 to 24 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.30) and lower in women aged 30 to 34 years (OR, 0.74), 35 to 39 years (OR, 0.46), and 40 to 44 years (OR, 0.30) all compared with women aged 25 to 29 years. Contraceptive use was also higher in Black women (OR, 1.12) and Native American women (OR, 1.60) versus White women. Contraceptive use was less likely for women on peritoneal dialysis versus women on hemodialysis (OR, 0.85).

“The study highlights the importance of prepregnancy counseling for contraceptive use in women on dialysis,” the authors write.

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