Use of a questionnaire to assess the perception of women with dermatomyositis in family planning

Summary: Abstract Body: Dermatomyositis (DM) is more prevalent in women, often diagnosed during childbearing years, and associated with reduced pregnancy rates and live births, underscoring the need for dermatologists to provide preconception counseling to address family planning (FP) concerns in this population. This study assessed FP concerns in women with DM and explored their relationship with skin severity. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of women aged 18-45 with DM. Participants completed an English version of a Spanish-validated FP questionnaire developed by Alcantara-Luna. Responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). We compared responses between two groups: mild DM (CDASI-A ≤14) and moderate/severe DM (CDASI-A >14), two-group t-test, at a significance level of 0.05. 27 patients (19 mild and 8 moderate/severe DM) participated (mean [SD] age, 37.74 [4.8] years). The mild DM group reported significantly greater concern in the following statements compared to those with moderate/severe DM:“The idea that my disease will worsen when I have to withdraw or change the drug before pregnancy worries me.”(4.05 vs 2.75;p=0.01), “The idea that my disease will worsen when I have to withdraw or change the drug during breastfeeding worries me.”(3.8 vs 2.6;p=0.02) and “I consider that my illness may limit me to adequately caring for a child.”(4.1vs 2.5;p=0.001). Unexpectedly, women with mild DM expressed greater anxiety about disease progression related to family planning than those with moderate/severe DM. This may reflect heightened worry among patients with mild disease and a sense of resignation or reduced agency in those with more severe disease, potentially leading them to deprioritize FP due to perceived barriers/priorities. These findings highlight the need for further qualitative research to better understand and address FP concerns in women with DM. Lais Lopes Almeida Gomes^{1, 2}, X. Yang^{1, 2}, C. Shen^{1, 2}, S. Chambers^{1, 2}, A. On^{1, 2}, T. Hafshejani^{1, 2}, H. Ali^{1, 2}, Rui Feng³, V. Werth^{1, 2} 1. Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Phila, PA, United States. 2. CMCVAMC,, Phila, PA, United States. 3. Clinical Epidemiology and Biostats, UPenn, Philadelphia, PA, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research