Thrombophilia Testing in Women and Adolescent Girls—Position Paper from the Standing Committee on Women’s Health Issues of the Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research (GTH)

Hereditary and acquired thrombophilia increase the risk of first-time and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). In unselected VTE cohorts, thrombophilic disorders are detected in approximately 40-50% of cases. The probability of a positive test result is higher in patients with a positive family history and VTE manifestation at a young age. The diagnosis of thrombophilia does not necessarily have consequences for further treatment. On the other hand, there are several aspects specific to women where knowledge of thrombophilia influences treatment decisions. The aim of this paper is to describe the various situations specific to women, to present current evidence, and to make recommendations regarding the usefulness and scope of thrombophilia screening. To this end, a panel of 18 experts was assembled within the Standing Committee on Women's Health Issues of the Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research (GTH), which developed recommendations as part of a Delphi process.