SURVEY REVEALS DOCTORS, PATIENTS SPLIT ON PREGNANCY INFORMATION   

PHILADELPHIA, January 19, 2009:   Eighty-nine percent of women want to know “everything” about pregnancy, including their risk for a premature birth, according to a study completed by the Pregnancy Research Center, while fewer than 5% expected their doctors to tell them all that they need to know.  The Prematurity Awareness Survey also reported that 4 out of 5 women felt that it was critical to educate themselves on matters relating to pregnancy.

“It appears that there is a significant perception gap between what physicians think their patients want to know about pregnancy, and what patients actually want to know,” said Christine Coleman, director of the Pregnancy Research Center.  “Many doctors believe that their patients don’t want to know about things that might go wrong, but women generally want to know everything, so that they can understand their options and feel more in control,” added Coleman.

The study also reported that women universally (98%) think that is important to know about issues such as preterm birth, even if they are not at risk and don’t have any symptoms.  Yet, fewer than 2 out of 5 women reported that their doctors actually spoke to them about the possibility of a premature birth.  According to the March of Dimes, about 12.5 percent of babies (more than half a million a year) in the United States are born prematurely1 – a percentage that has increased since 1981.

“We believe that there is an information gap that needs to be filled, especially about preterm birth,” said Annette Brewster, Vice President of Marketing for Hologic Prenatal Health, the sponsors of the survey.  “We want to help raise awareness of this need and help provide assistance in closing this gap between caregivers and pregnant women.” 

Over 255 women currently in the second or third trimester of pregnancy participated in this study, which was commissioned by Hologic Inc, and conducted independently by the Pregnancy Research Center.  For more information, contact Christine Coleman, director of the Pregnancy Research Center at 215.253.7189 or via email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

1. From www.marchofdimes.com, Resource Library, Fact Sheet: Preterm Birth:  Martin, J.A., et al. Births: Final Data for 2004 National Vital Statistics Reports, volume 55, number 1, September 29, 2006.

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About Hologic

Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOLX) is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics products, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women. Hologic’s core business units are focused on breast health, diagnostics, GYN surgical, and skeletal health. Hologic provides a comprehensive suite of technologies with products for mammography and breast biopsy, radiation treatment for early-stage breast cancer, cervical cancer screening, treatment for menorrhagia, osteoporosis assessment, preterm birth risk assessment, mini C-arm for extremity imaging and molecular diagnostic products including reagents for a variety of DNA and RNA analysis applications.