NM702 EXAM 1 COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026
◉ Why was preconception care first recognized?
Answer: To address poor maternal and child health outcomes
despite nearly 100 years of prenatal care.
◉ What are some criticisms of the preconception care concept?
Answer: Critics argue it treats women as 'eternally pre-pregnant'
and can blame individuals for their behaviors.
◉ What are the potential benefits of preconception care?
Answer: Reducing adverse health effects for the woman, fetus, and
neonate, and improving pregnancy outcomes.
◉ What health equity issues are associated with preconception
care?
Answer: Disparate access to care and disproportionate impact on
individuals facing racism and economic inequality.
◉ What are the goals of preconception care according to ACOG?
Answer: To reduce adverse health effects by optimizing health and
addressing modifiable risk factors.
,◉ What are the goals of preconception care according to ACNM?
Answer: To improve the health of women of reproductive age before
conception.
◉ When should preconception care be offered?
Answer: To everyone of reproductive age.
◉ How should preconception care be introduced to patients?
Answer: Using patient-centered principles and broad, neutral
questions.
◉ What are modifiable risk factors?
Answer: Factors that can be changed, such as smoking and poor diet.
◉ What are non-modifiable risk factors?
Answer: Factors that cannot be changed, such as age and
socioeconomic status.
◉ What is a guideline for discussing risk with patients?
Answer: Use consistent denominators and present both positive and
negative outcomes.
,◉ What are the potential benefits of risk assessment?
Answer: Accessing clinical guidelines, providing education, and
determining care suitability.
◉ What are the potential harms of risk assessment?
Answer: Creating a perception of pregnancy as dangerous and
leading to unnecessary interventions.
◉ How should race be discussed as a risk factor?
Answer: As a social construct, not a biological marker, focusing on
objective findings.
◉ Why is evaluating the evidence base for preconception care
challenging?
Answer: Due to timing of interventions, unplanned pregnancies, and
health disparities.
◉ Which elements of preconception care seem likely to be
beneficial?
Answer: Controlling conditions such as diabetes, counseling HIV-
positive women regarding the prevention of transmission,
counseling opioid users to avoid or postpone pregnancy.
, ◉ What physiologic indicators might tell someone that they will
soon ovulate?
Answer: Cervical mucus becomes thin and clear; an LH surge occurs.
◉ What physiologic indicators might indicate that they have already
ovulated?
Answer: Basal body temperature rises; cervical mucus becomes
thick and sticky.
◉ What hormones are responsible for each of the events in the
normal menstrual cycle?
Answer: GnRH from the hypothalamus, FSH and LH from the
anterior pituitary, estrogen during the follicular phase, and
progesterone during the luteal phase.
◉ What does a regular cycle indicate about ovulatory status?
Answer: A regular cycle indicates that ovulation is occurring at a
predictable time.
◉ What does an irregular cycle indicate about ovulatory status?
Answer: An irregular cycle often indicates that the cycles are
anovulatory.
GUIDE 2026
◉ Why was preconception care first recognized?
Answer: To address poor maternal and child health outcomes
despite nearly 100 years of prenatal care.
◉ What are some criticisms of the preconception care concept?
Answer: Critics argue it treats women as 'eternally pre-pregnant'
and can blame individuals for their behaviors.
◉ What are the potential benefits of preconception care?
Answer: Reducing adverse health effects for the woman, fetus, and
neonate, and improving pregnancy outcomes.
◉ What health equity issues are associated with preconception
care?
Answer: Disparate access to care and disproportionate impact on
individuals facing racism and economic inequality.
◉ What are the goals of preconception care according to ACOG?
Answer: To reduce adverse health effects by optimizing health and
addressing modifiable risk factors.
,◉ What are the goals of preconception care according to ACNM?
Answer: To improve the health of women of reproductive age before
conception.
◉ When should preconception care be offered?
Answer: To everyone of reproductive age.
◉ How should preconception care be introduced to patients?
Answer: Using patient-centered principles and broad, neutral
questions.
◉ What are modifiable risk factors?
Answer: Factors that can be changed, such as smoking and poor diet.
◉ What are non-modifiable risk factors?
Answer: Factors that cannot be changed, such as age and
socioeconomic status.
◉ What is a guideline for discussing risk with patients?
Answer: Use consistent denominators and present both positive and
negative outcomes.
,◉ What are the potential benefits of risk assessment?
Answer: Accessing clinical guidelines, providing education, and
determining care suitability.
◉ What are the potential harms of risk assessment?
Answer: Creating a perception of pregnancy as dangerous and
leading to unnecessary interventions.
◉ How should race be discussed as a risk factor?
Answer: As a social construct, not a biological marker, focusing on
objective findings.
◉ Why is evaluating the evidence base for preconception care
challenging?
Answer: Due to timing of interventions, unplanned pregnancies, and
health disparities.
◉ Which elements of preconception care seem likely to be
beneficial?
Answer: Controlling conditions such as diabetes, counseling HIV-
positive women regarding the prevention of transmission,
counseling opioid users to avoid or postpone pregnancy.
, ◉ What physiologic indicators might tell someone that they will
soon ovulate?
Answer: Cervical mucus becomes thin and clear; an LH surge occurs.
◉ What physiologic indicators might indicate that they have already
ovulated?
Answer: Basal body temperature rises; cervical mucus becomes
thick and sticky.
◉ What hormones are responsible for each of the events in the
normal menstrual cycle?
Answer: GnRH from the hypothalamus, FSH and LH from the
anterior pituitary, estrogen during the follicular phase, and
progesterone during the luteal phase.
◉ What does a regular cycle indicate about ovulatory status?
Answer: A regular cycle indicates that ovulation is occurring at a
predictable time.
◉ What does an irregular cycle indicate about ovulatory status?
Answer: An irregular cycle often indicates that the cycles are
anovulatory.
