Risk for unintended pregnancy was twofold higher in women with anorexia nervosa than in women without eating disorders.
As many as 9 in 10 women with anorexia nervosa have amenorrhea. To assess rates of unplanned pregnancy among women with recent histories of anorexia, researchers analyzed data from 62,060 enrollees in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Norway. Questionnaires were completed during pregnancy (median, 18.6 weeks' gestation) and included questions about eating disorders and behaviors, whether pregnancies were planned, occurrence of amenorrhea during the year before pregnancy, and histories of induced abortions.
A total of 62 women (0.1%) had anorexia nervosa within 6 months before pregnancy. Women with anorexia were younger at pregnancy than those without eating disorders (mean age, 26.2 vs. 29.9). Half of women with anorexia reported that …