In an article in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology , Alan B. Fleischer, Jr., M.D. and Steven E. Feldman, M.D., report that doctors have not prescribed the most effective medicines for treating severe psoriasis for women under 50. They can cause birth defects or induce premature delivery. While we are glad to see that doctors recognize these risks and are not prescribing these medications to women, the result is that women have been left to suffer. New medications may finally address this inequity, Fleischer said. The newer drugs do not carry risk of birth defects or premature delivery.
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that leaves the skin red and scaly.
The affected areas are uncomfortable and easily irritated. Anyone with psoriasis covering more than 10 percent of their body is considered to have a severe case. In lieu of oral medications that pose a risk, the researchers noted that women received more ultraviolet light therapy than men. But these treatments are more inconvenient than taking pills at home and some ultraviolet treatments carry a significant risk of causing skin cancer. The report is based on a study of information gathered as part of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1990 through 1994.