Management issues in women with inflammatory bowel disease.

Medical practitioners caring for women with inflammatory bowel disease should recognize that gender may have a profound influence on patient perception of disease, body image, and clinical symptoms. These gender-related concerns as well as issues such as fertility and pregnancy increase the complexity of medical and surgical management of women with inflammatory bowel disease. This article reviews the important issues for practitioners to consider in taking care of women with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, focusing especially on body image, fertility, management of disease during pregnancy, and osteoporosis.