{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T09:55:46Z","timestamp":1781517346652,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,14]],"date-time":"2026-06-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781395200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is most frequently diagnosed in young adults of reproductive age. Although current evidence indicates that MS itself does not usually preclude pregnancy or parenthood, patients may still have insufficient knowledge in this area. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge about the relationship of MS and pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, fertility, and parenthood among women and men with MS. Methods: This single-center questionnaire-based study included 194 patients with MS: 144 women and 50 men. Participants completed a 12-item paper-and-pen questionnaire assessing general patient-level knowledge. Results were analyzed according to sex and age group: \u226435 years and &gt;35 years. The mean number of correct answers and the proportion of participants reaching the predefined threshold of \u226550% correct answers were calculated. Results: Participants aged \u2264 35 years achieved a higher mean number of correct answers than those aged &gt; 35 years: 5.0 versus 3.2, respectively. This difference was also observed among women: 5.9 versus 3.3 correct answers. Among men, no age-related difference was observed: 2.7 versus 2.8 correct answers. The predefined threshold of \u226550% correct answers was reached by 38.5% of participants aged \u2264 35 years and 27.9% of those aged &gt; 35 years. Women had higher percentages of correct answers than men for all questionnaire items. Conclusions: Knowledge about MS, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, fertility, and parenthood was limited in this cohort. Women and younger adults achieved higher knowledge. Education should be proactive, repeated during routine MS care, and addressed to both women and men with MS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15124625","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T08:57:58Z","timestamp":1781513878000},"page":"4625","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Knowledge About the Impact of Multiple Sclerosis on Pregnancy and Maternity Among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4441-3088","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ewa","family":"Krzystanek","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pawe\u0142","family":"G\u0119szka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Scientific Association, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-7409-9586","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mateusz","family":"Gawin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Scientific Association, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Magdalena","family":"Fabian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Scientific Association, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-7983-1443","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandra","family":"Fory\u015b","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Scientific Association, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2481-7528","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anetta","family":"Lasek-Bal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103449","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autrev.2023.103449","article-title":"Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: Pathogenesis, influencing factors, and treatment options","volume":"22","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Autoimmun. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e37297","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000037297","article-title":"Review of multiple sclerosis: Epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment","volume":"103","author":"Haki","year":"2024","journal-title":"Medicine"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"752","DOI":"10.1097\/WCO.0000000000000622","article-title":"Multiple sclerosis: Clinical aspects","volume":"31","author":"Oh","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Neurol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104103","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msard.2022.104103","article-title":"The age at onset of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis has increased over the last five decades","volume":"68","author":"Bau","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mult. Scler. Relat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Koziarska, D., Kr\u00f3l, J., Noco\u0144, D., Kubaszewski, P., Rzepa, T., and Nowacki, P. (2018). Prevalence and factors leading to unemployment in MS (multiple sclerosis) patients undergoing immunomodulatory treatment in Poland. PLoS ONE, 13.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0194117"},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"259","article-title":"Multiple sclerosis: Pregnancy and women\u2019s health issues","volume":"34","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neurologia"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9489","DOI":"10.1136\/jnnp-2022-330883","article-title":"Fertility, Pregnancy and Childbirth in Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Population-Based Study from 2018 to 2020","volume":"94","author":"Moccia","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102541","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msard.2020.102541","article-title":"Live birth rates, infertility diagnosis, and infertility treatment in women with and without multiple sclerosis: Data from an administrative claims database","volume":"46","author":"Houtchens","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mult. Scler. Relat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"790","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1471-0528.2011.02931.x","article-title":"What can we really tell women with multiple sclerosis regarding pregnancy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature","volume":"118","author":"Finkelsztejn","year":"2011","journal-title":"BJOG"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.2217\/cer-2020-0211","article-title":"The effects of pregnancy on relapse rates, disability and peripartum outcomes in women with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"Modrego","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Comp. Eff. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1296","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000206774","article-title":"Investigating the Long-term Effect of Pregnancy on the Course of Multiple Sclerosis Using Causal Inference","volume":"100","author":"Gavoille","year":"2023","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1301","DOI":"10.1007\/s13760-025-02844-6","article-title":"Insufficient awareness of the disease and reproductive health issues in persons with multiple sclerosis","volume":"125","author":"Tamas","year":"2025","journal-title":"Acta Neurol. Belg."},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"172","article-title":"Macierzy\u0144stwo kobiet chorych na stwardnienie rozsiane (SM)\u2014\u015awiadoma decyzja czy niepotrzebne ryzyko? Ocena poziomu wiedzy o chorobie i ci\u0105\u017cy kobiet z SM","volume":"18","author":"Krzystanek","year":"2015","journal-title":"Med. Rodz."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1444","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.33.11.1444","article-title":"Rating neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosis: An expanded disability status scale (EDSS)","volume":"33","author":"Kurtzke","year":"1983","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"791","DOI":"10.1007\/s13760-020-01323-4","article-title":"Epidemiology, diagnosis and management of sexual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis","volume":"120","author":"Drulovic","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Neurol. Belg."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"773","DOI":"10.1212\/CON.0000000000000745","article-title":"Pregnancy and Family Planning in Multiple Sclerosis","volume":"25","year":"2019","journal-title":"Continuum"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1111\/ene.13819","article-title":"Multiple sclerosis\u2014A review","volume":"26","author":"Dobson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. J. Neurol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bsteh, G., Hegen, H., Riedl, K., Altmann, P., Di Pauli, F., Ehling, R., Zulehner, G., Rommer, P., Leutmezer, F., and Deisenhammer, F. (2022). Estimating Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Disease Reactivation in Pregnancy and Postpartum: The VIPRiMS Score. Front. Neurol., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2021.766956"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1136\/pn-2022-003426","article-title":"Anti-CD20 Therapies in Pregnancy and Breast Feeding: A Review and ABN Guidelines","volume":"23","author":"Dobson","year":"2023","journal-title":"Pract. Neurol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1186\/1878-5085-3-9","article-title":"Expert recommendations to personalization of medical approaches in treatment of multiple sclerosis: An overview of family planning and pregnancy","volume":"3","author":"Borisow","year":"2012","journal-title":"EPMA J."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"G\u0142\u00f3wny Urz\u0105d Statystyczny (2025, October 13). Wybrane Wska\u017aniki z Zakresu Dzietno\u015bci w Latach 1980\u20132021, Available online: https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/attachment\/68660185-68a0-4c4d-ac9e-56ae2f91ce5a."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103389","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msard.2021.103389","article-title":"Effect of Desire for Pregnancy on Decisions to Escalate Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis Care: Differences between MS Specialists and Non-MS Specialists","volume":"57","author":"Saposnik","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mult. Scler. Relat. Disord."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/12\/4625\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T09:44:16Z","timestamp":1781516656000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/12\/4625"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,14]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15124625"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15124625","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,14]]}}}