Prevalence of Cervical Insufficiency in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
June 2012
in “
Human Reproduction
”
TLDR Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are more likely to have cervical insufficiency, especially South Asian and Black women.
The study investigated the prevalence of cervical insufficiency (CI) in pregnant women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), involving 999 PCOS women and a comparison group of 1020 non-PCOS women. It found that CI was significantly more common in the PCOS group, with 29 (2.9%) cases, compared to only 5 (0.5%) in the non-PCOS group. The incidence of newly diagnosed CI was also higher in PCOS women (1.8%) than in non-PCOS women (0.2%). The prevalence was notably higher among South Asian (7.8%) and Black (17.5%) PCOS women. PCOS women with CI were more likely to have received gonadotropin therapy for fertility. After adjusting for various factors, PCOS was associated with an increased odds of prevalent CI pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio 4.8). The study concluded that PCOS is a potential risk factor for CI, with a higher frequency observed in certain racial groups, and that PCOS women with CI were more likely to have undergone fertility treatments. The findings suggest the need for further research and possibly increased obstetrical surveillance for PCOS women, especially those of South Asian and Black descent.