Survey: Women with MS

 

Thank you for joining the KNOWwMS survey!

Many women like you have MS.

Many of them want to start a family and have healthy kids and are concerned that MS may threaten pregnancy, breastfeeding and the safety and health of their babies.

Often, women with MS look for explanation and advice about these issues, but do not know who to ask, and sometimes they receive inaccurate or wrong information.

We are a group of doctors and researchers, with long experience in MS. We want to better understand what women with MS need to know about family planning, pregnancy, breastfeeding and safety of their babies.

Your responses, together with those of many other women around the world, will help us make a list of essential information that women living with MS who want to have kids need to know.

The survey is completely anonymous, meaning that nobody will ever know your name, not even us.
Please feel free to skip questions or exit the questionnaire at any time.

Completing the survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

For any inquiries about the survey or the project, please contact cochrane.ms@ausl.bologna.it.

General info
What is your country?
Where do you live?
Which type of MS do you have?
Are you currently taking drugs for MS?
(excluding steroids and symptomatic treatments, e.g. painkillers) 
Survey women with MS
1. When did you first or ever discuss reproductive health questions (i.e. contraception, pregnancy, breastfeeding) with your healthcare provider?
2. Did you receive counselling about:
(it doesn't apply if 'Never' was selected in the previous question)
3. What is your main source of information on reproductive health issues (contraception, pregnancy, breastfeeding)?

MS and becoming pregnant

4. Do you have access to contraception?
5. Do you have any concerns about contraception interfering with the course of your MS?
6. Do you think MS will affect your ability to become pregnant and have children?
7. Do you think that if you hadn’t developed MS, you might have had more children?

MS and pregnancy

8. Do you think a pregnancy will worsen your MS symptoms?
9. Have you decided against having children due to concerns about MS?
10. Do you think that having MS while being pregnant affects the safety of the baby?
11. Do you think MS may be passed on to your children?
12. Did you receive counselling about pregnancy while taking medications for MS?
13. Do you think that if you get pregnant you will have to stop taking medication for MS?
14. Have you ever heard of "postpartum relapses"?

MS and Breastfeeding

15. Do you think breastfeeding will worsen your MS symptoms?
16. Do you think that if you breastfeed you will have to stop taking medication for MS?
17. Did you decide not to breastfeed or to breastfeed for a shorter period, due to concerns about MS?

MS and Parenting

18. Do you have any concerns that having MS could impact your ability to be a parent?
Open-ended question