Opioid Use Disorder in Women and the Implications for Treatment

Abstract

Objective: The opioid epidemic continues to evolve and impact all groups of people. Moreover, there are concerning trends among women. The aim of this article is to provide a review of opioid use disorder in women and the implications for treatment.

Methods: A nonsystematic review of the literature as conducted to examine: (1) the epidemiology of opioid-related hospitalizations and deaths of women; (2) co-occurring pain, anxiety disorders, and trauma among women with opioid use disorder; (3) evidence for opioid agonist treatment of pregnant women with opioid use disorder; and (4) implications for treatment of women with opioid use disorder and next steps for research and practice.

Results: The current opioid epidemic has produced important differences by sex and gender with increased rates of use and overdose deaths in women. Significant mental health concerns for women include co-occurring psychiatric disorders and suicide. Expanding medication treatment for perinatal opioid use disorder is crucial. While effective treatments exist for opioid use disorder, they are often not accessible, and a minority of patients are treated.

Conclusions: The end to the opioid epidemic will require innovative multi-systemic solutions. There are significant practice gaps in preventing rising death rates among women by opioid overdose, treating co-occurring psychiatric disorders and pain, and treating perinatal women with opioid use disorder and their infants. Research on sex and gender differences, and the intersection with race/ethnicity and US region, is critically needed and should include treatment implementation studies to achieve wider access for women to effective prevention, early intervention, and treatment.