Managing Epilepsy with Women in Mind

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At various stages in their life cycle, women with epilepsy have different needs from men and need a more female-orientated service. However, services for people with epilepsy remain androcentric and largely ignore that 50% of the recipients of epilepsy care in the United Kingdom are female. Indeed, 40% of those women engaged with epilepsy services are of childbearing potential. Epilepsy and its treatment can affect or compromise the menstrual cycle, contraception, fertility, pregnancy, child development in the womb, post-birth childcare and menopause, just as these life stages can affect epilepsy and its management. Based on audited clinical experience over the last 10 years at one of the very few clinics for women with epilepsy in the United Kingdom and on the curriculum of the Birmingham University Masters Course in Epilepsy, this book attempts to address these issues for women with epilepsy using evidence-based recommendations for care where possible and indicating those many areas where evidence is lacking and further research is needed.