How penalizing substance use in pregnancy affects treatment and research: a qualitative examination of researchers' perspectives.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Laws regulating substance use in pregnancy are changing and may have unintended consequences on scientific efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Yet, how these laws affect care and research is poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews using purposive and snowball sampling of researchers who have engaged pregnant people experiencing substance use. We explored views on laws governing substance use in pregnancy and legal reform possibilities. Interviews were double coded. Data were examined using thematic analysis.

Results

We interviewed 22 researchers (response rate: 71 per cent) and identified four themes: (i) harms of punitive laws, (ii) negative legal impacts on research, (iii) proposals for legal reform, and (iv) a

SUBMITTER: Shah SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10332932 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature