Counseling on the Interaction of Hormonal Contraceptives and Antiepileptics

Previous studies have shown that women on anti-seizure medications are not informed about the
pharmaceutical drug interactions between anti-seizure medications (antiepileptic drugs, AEDs)
and certain hormonal contraceptive. The goal of this proposed study is to develop and assess
the efficacy of an educational handout for participants on the ways AEDs and certain hormonal
contraceptives can interact to alter effectiveness of the medications. Reproductive age women
(18-45 years old) will be recruited from UCSD Health System Epilepsy clinics. If a patient
agrees to participate, she will be given a knowledge exam prior to the clinic appointment to
establish baseline understanding of hormonal contraceptive and AED interactions and then the
participant will be randomized to receive the intervention (educational handout) or the
standard of care (no educational handout). Those in participants in the intervention group
will read an educational handout on hormonal contraceptives/AED interactions. Those in the
standard care group will not receive this handout and the same knowledge exam will be
re-administered to all of the participants after they have completed their appointments to
check for knowledge comprehension and short-term knowledge retention. A same-day post-test
questionnaire will evaluate participant's intention to discuss hormonal contraceptives/AED
interactions with their gynecologist, neurologist or primary care physician.