Availability of Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals in US Jails
Date: 01-30-2022
Investigation found 60% of jails reported continuing to provide MOUD to pregnant individuals who were receiving medication before incarceration, but only 32% of jails initiated MOUD during pregnancy.
In this cross-sectional study of 836 survey respondents from jails
across the US, respondents at 60% of jails reported continuing to provide MOUD to pregnant individuals who were receiving medication before incarceration, but only 32% of jails initiated MOUD during pregnancy. Most medication-providing jails discontinued MOUD during the postpartum period.
Meaning
This study found that US jails did not consistently provide pregnant people with access to medications that meet the standard of care for treatment of opioid use disorder, which suggests that there is an opportunity for intervention to improve care for pregnant people who are incarcerated.
