A Glass Half Full? Harm Reduction among Pregnant Women Who Use Cocaine

Abstract

The current research challenges the popular assumption that pregnant women who use drugs are either unable or unwilling to take steps to promote a healthy pregnancy. Many qualitative studies have found that pregnant women who use drugs may engage in harm reduction strategies. These findings were confirmed in the present study, which uses data collected as part of the 1992 National Institute on Drug Abuse survey of women who delivered live-born infants in DC hospitals. These data also highlight the disadvantaged socioeconomic, emotional, and physical position of women who use cocaine relative to other women. The findings suggest a need for policies and responses to maternal drug use that recognize many women's desire to promote a healthy pregnancy as well as their diminished social and physical circumstances.