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Preconception Care: In the Continuum of Women’s Healthcare

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Handbook of Gynecology

Abstract

The goals of preconception care are (1) to identify potential risks to the mother, fetus, and pregnancy, (2) to educate the individual about these risks and provide options for intervention and management, and (3) to initiate interventions to provide optimal maternal, fetal, and pregnancy outcomes. Preconception counseling involves interventions that include health education and counseling related to reproductive risks and optimizing the control of medical disorders. If pregnancy is not desired, then contraceptive options should be discussed as preconception care begins with family planning to optimize the timing and intention of pregnancy. As such, all people with the potential to become pregnant should develop a reproductive health plan in the context of their personal reproductive and sexual health needs. Evidence supports an association between preconception counseling and positive changes in maternal behavior before and during pregnancy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Megan Bernstein, Yalda Afshar & Christina S. Han

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  1. Megan Bernstein
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  2. Yalda Afshar
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  3. Christina S. Han
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Correspondence to Yalda Afshar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Donna Shoupe

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Bernstein, M., Afshar, Y., Han, C.S. (2023). Preconception Care: In the Continuum of Women’s Healthcare. In: Shoupe, D. (eds) Handbook of Gynecology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14881-1_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14881-1_18

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