March 26, 2014 – In celebration of Purple Day, an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide , we are excited to announce the launch of GirlswithNerve.com, a new website tailored to provide teens with epilepsy sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and support. Research we conducted with teens with epilepsy informed the format, title, and content of GirlswithNerve.com. The website includes information about SRH issues for teens with epilepsy, stories from other teens with epilepsy about SRH issues, areas for website users’ to share their own stories, and structured guidance for talking with health care providers and parents about SRH issues.
Epilepsy affects more than one million women and girls in the U.S., making it the most common neurological disorder in females of reproductive age. This population requires specialized SRH care because of the potential for interactions between epilepsy medications and hormonal contraceptives that can lead to an increased risk of unplanned pregnancy and seizure occurrence, and because of the increased risk of fetal malformations if epilepsy medications are taken during pregnancy. Additionally, changes brought on by events such as puberty, pregnancy, or contraceptive use can influence seizure activity in unpredictable ways.