Counseling sexually active teenagers treated with potential human teratogens

Shilalukey, Kathleen; Kaufman, Miriam; Bradley, Susan; Francombe, William H.; Amankwah, Koffi; Goldberg, Eudice; Shear, Neil; Olivieri, Nancy F.; Koren, Gideon

doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(97)00041-4

Next »Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 21, Issue 3 , Pages 143-146, September 1997

Counseling sexually active teenagers treated with potential human teratogens

Kathleen Shilalukey
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Miriam Kaufman
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Susan Bradley
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
William H. Francombe
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Koffi Amankwah
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Eudice Goldberg
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Neil Shear
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Nancy F. Olivieri
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Gideon Koren
- Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hematology, Adolescent Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Address reprint requests to: Gideon Koren, M.D., Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.

Accepted 13 December 1996.

Adolescents with hemoglobinopathies need daily chelation therapy with drugs which are known or suspected to be teratogenic. The prevention of fetal exposure to such drugs is therefore a major task for health professionals caring for these patients. We describe a pilot program aiming to prevent pregnancy among sexually active adolescents treated with iron chelators in Toronto. Most of them had normal response to GnRH, suggesting endocrinologic fertility, and unlike the literature concerning their healthy peers, all sexually active patients in this study reported use of at least one form of contraception.

Key Words: Adolescents, Iron chelators, Teratogens, Counseling

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