"Just Google It": A Qualitative Study of Reproductive-Age Women's Stigmatizing Experiences When Accessing Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder

Abstract

Introduction: The opioid crisis is increasingly impacting women, and access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) is limited by the number of providers authorized to dispense it. Stigma can represent an additional barrier to accessing medication for OUD. Qualitative data were analyzed from a randomized simulated patient field experiment of calls to outpatient buprenorphine-waivered providers.

Objectives: Our primary objective was to analyze descriptions of barriers women encountered when seeking buprenorphine to treat OUD to account for differential experiences based on pregnancy status, race/ethnicity, and insurance status. Our secondary objective was to identify potential intervention strategies to improve access to medications for OUD.

Methods: The Health Stigma and Discrimination framework was applied to guide our study of barriers encountered by women seeking OUD treatment. Callers representing vocal features of white, Hispanic, and Black women and simulating ages 25-30 were randomized to represent combinations of public/private insurance and pregnant/not pregnant characteristics. Callers contacted 5,944 buprenorphine-waivered providers requesting to make an appointment to obtain medications to treat OUD. There were 15,358 free-text comments in response to the prompt "Please give an objective play-by-play of the description of what happened in this conversation." Data were coded and analyzed using an iterative inductive-deductive approach. We consulted six community experts, women who had sought treatment for OUD, to inform our study findings and identify patient-driven solutions to address barriers.

Results: Findings revealed that experiences of interpersonal stigma were connected to systemic barriers such as stigmatizing behaviors within institutional cultures and normative practices. Key results indicate that race/ethnicity, pregnancy status, and insurance status influence experiences of stigma. For instance, Black and Hispanic callers reported experiencing race-based microaggressions, and pregnant women faced additional judgment and reduced access to treatment. Qualitative findings and community experts' insights underscored the necessity for the adoption of anti-stigma policies and practices that facilitate easier access to medications for OUD across socioecological levels.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a need for multilevel interventions to improve women's access to medications for OUD.