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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Mar;40(2):199-202.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2010.08.011. Epub 2010 Oct 30.

Unintended pregnancy in opioid-abusing women

Sarah H Heil  1 , Hendree E Jones, Amelia Arria, Karol Kaltenbach, Mara Coyle, Gabriele Fischer, Susan Stine, Peter Selby, Peter R Martin
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Unintended pregnancy in opioid-abusing women

Sarah H Heil et al. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and its three subtypes (mistimed, unwanted, and ambivalent) among opioid-abusing women. In the general population, 31%-47% of pregnancies are unintended; data on unintended pregnancy in opioid- and other drug-abusing women are lacking. Pregnant opioid-abusing women (N = 946) screened for possible enrollment in a multisite randomized controlled trial comparing opioid maintenance medications completed a standardized interview assessing sociodemographic characteristics, current and past drug use, and pregnancy intention. Almost 9 of every 10 pregnancies were unintended (86%), with comparable percentages mistimed (34%), unwanted (27%), and ambivalent (26%). Irrespective of pregnancy intention, more than 90% of the total sample had a history of drug abuse treatment, averaging more than three treatment episodes. Interventions are sorely needed to address the extremely high rate of unintended pregnancy among opioid-abusing women. Drug treatment programs are likely to be an important setting for such interventions.

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