Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37385230›Full record

ArticleDermatology (Basel, Switzerland)2023

Patient Perspectives on Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Infertility: A Survey Study.

Rahul Masson, Terri Shih, Sarah Park, Devea R De, Athena Gierbolini, Afsaneh Alavi, Amit Garg, Robert G Micheletti, Vivian Y Shi, Jennifer L Hsiao

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Australasian hidradenitis suppurativa management guidelines.The Australasian journal of dermatology · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Cumulative life course impairment: Evidence for hidradenitis suppurativa.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.

Rahul MassonKeck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Terri ShihDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Sarah ParkDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Devea R DeJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Athena GierboliniHS Foundation, Santa Monica, California, USA.
Afsaneh AlaviDepartment of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Amit GargDepartment of Dermatology, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA.
Robert G MichelettiDepartments of Dermatology and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Vivian Y ShiDepartment of Dermatology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Jennifer L HsiaoDepartment of Dermatology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
University of California, Los Angeles · USUniversity of Southern California · USHidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation · USHofstra University · USJacobs (United States) · USMayo Clinic · USUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences · USUniversity of Pennsylvania · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory skin condition which predominantly affects women of childbearing age in the USA. There is a lack of research on the association between HS and fertility.

objectivesThe aim of this study was to understand the perspectives of females with HS regarding the impact of their disease on reproductive health, the impact of fertility treatments on HS, and the impact of HS treatments on fertility.

methodsAn anonymous, online survey was disseminated through HS support groups from June to July 2022. Respondents aged 18-50 who were assigned female sex at birth were eligible for participation. Comparative statistics were performed using t tests/χ2 tests to assess associations between respondents' demographics and survey responses.

resultsAmong the 312 respondents (80.8% White, mean age 35.7 ± 7.4 [range 18-50]), two-thirds of respondents (66.6%, 207/311) had been pregnant before and 79.5% (248/312) had ever tried to conceive. 41.5% (103/248) had unsuccessfully tried to conceive for 12 months or more. Of the 59 respondents who had never attempted to conceive, 39% reported that HS had impacted this decision. Amongst respondents who experienced fertility challenges but did not pursue fertility treatments, top barriers to fertility treatments include concerns about financial support/insurance coverage (47.5%, 29/61) and fertility treatments worsening HS (21.3%, 13/61). Most respondents who used fertility treatments reported either no change (73.7%, 28/38 or 77.8%, 14/18) or improvement (15.8%, 6/38 or 11.1%, 2/18) in their HS symptoms with oral or injectable medications. Respondents were most concerned about the effects of oral antibiotics (44.9%, 140/312), followed by hormonal medications (38.8%, 121/312) and biologics (35.9%, 112/312) on fertility.

conclusionFemales with HS reported high rates of infertility compared to the general population. The majority reported no change in HS symptoms with fertility treatments, and clinicians can use this finding to help counsel patients during family planning discussions. Further research in the field of HS and fertility is needed.

Indexed as

Hidradenitis SuppurativaInfertilityAdolescentAdultFemaleFertilityHumansMiddle AgedPregnancySkinSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultFemalesFertilityHidradenitis suppurativaPatient perspectives

Identifiers

PMID37385230
PMCPMC10614271
OpenAlexW4382631653

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.