Women's Health in Autoimmune Diseases

This book focuses on conveying autoimmune disease expertise to gynecologists and other clinicians, allowing them to approach the treatment of each disease in a pragmatic manner. Each chapter reviews the current literature on treatments for autoimmune diseases, especially under special circumstances like pregnancy; rating disease severity; and providing practical guidelines based on the current state of knowledge. How autoimmune diseases affect fertility, and how to best prepare patients with these diseases for pregnancy, is also addressed.

Unfortunately the current literature does not provide effective guidelines. This book addresses that shortcoming, and will help clinicians to implement appropriate treatments, while also outlining possible alternatives in order to provide effective treatment for women living with autoimmune diseases. It also explores important issues concerning autoimmune diseases in women such as: lupus nephritis, vasculitis, Sjogren’s syndrome, anti phospholipid syndrome and systemic sclerosis, and their potential effects on unborn children. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable reference guide for Practicing Clinicians, Rheumatologists and Gynecologists, among others.

Shefali K. Sharma is an Additional Professor in the Unit of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. She is interested in rare rheumatological diseases like systemic sclerosis and CTD-ILD. She has a special interest in women’s health in autoimmune diseases and has spearheaded the Indian Chapter of the Association of Women in Rheumatology. 

She won the prestigious ARA-APLAR (Australian Rheumatology Association–Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology) International Fellowship, the Japanese College of Rheumatology (JCR) International Scholarship, and the Young Scientists International fellowship by Indian Council of Medical Research. 

She is a Fellow of American College of Rheumatology and Indian College of Physicians and a Member of National Academy of Medical Sciences. She is an ardent researcher and has more than 80 research papers in various peer-reviewed international and national journals to her credit.