Elsevier

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Volume 31, Issue 3, February 1993, Pages 199-203
Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Punishing pregnant drug users: enhancing the flight from care

https://doi.org/10.1016/0376-8716(93)90001-7Get rights and content

Abstract

One hundred forty-two low income women were interviewed postpartum to determine their attitudes regarding the potential effects of a punitive law on the behavior of substance-using pregnant women. The convenience sample was primarily black (85.2%) and single (81%) and 14.8% admitted use of illicit drugs during pregnancy. A goodness-of-fit chi-square analysis revealed that subjects believed a punitive law would be a significant deterrent to substance-using gravida seeking prenatal care, drug testing or drug treatment (P < 0.01). Comments indicated that substance-using pregnant women would ‘go underground’ to avoid detection and treatment for fear of incarceration and loss of their children.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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    Citation Excerpt :

    Focus shifts during pregnancy, the second intervention point, to identifying substance use issues and referring for priority-access treatment (National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 2020). Despite this, social stigmatization of pregnant women and concerns about legal implications may continue to pose treatment barriers, potentially deterring linkage to necessary care; low rates of adequate, appropriate maternal engagement with MAT and SUD treatment have been reported despite service provider availability (AGOG Committee opinion No, 2011; Chavkin, 1990; Clemans-Cope et al., 2019; Committee opinion no, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2017; Legal interventions during pregnancy, 1990; Poland, Dombrowski, Ager, & Sokol, 1993; Schempf & Strobino, 2009; Smith & Lipari, 2017). Treatment linkage may also be impacted by practical barriers, like lack of transportation or childcare for siblings, food and housing insecurity, medical and psychiatric comorbidities, and resource paucity (Saia et al., 2016).

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