However, current best practice emphasizes that statins should not be taken during pregnancy. Thus, women of childbearing age who are on statin therapy and are sexually active should use a reliable form of contraception to avoid pregnancy. When pregnancy is planned, stopping statin therapy 1 to 2 months be- fore pregnancy is attempted is suggested as reason- able guidance. When an unplanned pregnancy occurs, statins should be stopped immediately when the preg- nancy is discovered. Both cholesterol and triglycerides rise with pregnancy, and those with genetic lipid dis- orders should consider consulting a clinician with lipid expertise before starting the pregnancy. Recommendation-Specific Supportive Text 1. Several conditions specific to women (eg, hyper- tensive disorders during pregnancy, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, delivering a preterm or low-birth-weight infant,S4.5.3-2 S4.5.3-4 and prema- ture menopause [age <40 years]S4.5.3-5,S4.5.3-6,S4.5.3-14 ) have been shown to increase ASCVD risk. The present guideline includes preeclampsia and premature menopause (age <40 years) as risk- enhancing factors for statin therapy because they appear to increase ASCVD risk in the same range as other risk-enhancing factors. On the other hand, the mechanism or cause of preterm birth is often unknown; therefore, it is difficult to rou- tinely include this condition as a risk-enhancing factor for statin therapy. Furthermore, if gesta- tional diabetes mellitus predisposes a woman to metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus, these are already identified as risk-enhancing or major ASCVD risk factors. After pregnancy and through- out the life course of every woman, a thorough pregnancy history should be obtained, and risk factors and risk-enhancing factors should be identified. Interventions should include aggres- sive lifestyle counseling to reduce ASCVD risk and when appropriate, statin therapy, if ASCVD risk estimation indicates that the potential for benefit from statin therapy outweighs the potential for adverse effects. 