What are the risks of taking plaquenil at conception?

Hi Virgo,

Thank you for your question! The FDA assigns each medication to a pregnancy category based on the amount of risk associated with that medication. Plaquenil is pregnancy category C, which means that animal studies have shown this medication to be harmful during pregnancy but there are no human studies available. 

You can read more about Plaquenil at this website, which states: FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Malaria is more likely to cause death in a pregnant woman. If you are pregnant, talk with your doctor about the risks of traveling to areas where malaria is common. It is not known whether hydroxychloroquine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

I hope this answers your question! Best of luck-

Casey