Treatment issues for women with epilepsy.

Epilepsy affects over one percent of the population, including nearly one million women of childbearing potential. Women with epilepsy represent a particularly challenging group for neurologists and other health care professionals. Affected women are unaware of many of the unique issues they face, including the relationship between antiepileptic drug therapy and contraception, the risk of abnormal pregnancy outcomes, the effect of hormones and aging on seizure control, and the increased incidence of reproductive dysfunction. Worldwide educational efforts are underway to educate women and their physicians of these deficiencies.