Screening for Substance Use Disorders during Pregnancy: A Decision at the Intersection of Racial and Reproductive Justice

Abstract

Objective: Improve racial equity with routine universal drug screening / Study Design: Commentary on the medicolegal and social history of the United States and the field of obstetrics and gynecology regarding drug screening policy / Results: Critical aspects to inform an equitable drug screening policy include (1) racial bias and stigma related to substance use, (2) the legislative history surrounding substance use during pregnancy, (3) the relationship between substance use and mass incarceration which disproportionately affects persons of color, (4) propensity toward punitive measures for Black mothers with substance use, including termination of parental rights, (5) the role of the medical field in fostering mistrust among our patients / Conclusion: new practices in screening for substance use during pregnancy are needed.

Key Points

• Increasing demand for racial justice warrants reframing the issue of urine drug screening.

• The current legal constructs continue to disproportionately impact women of color.

• Routine verbal screening can replace urine drug screening and diminish implicit biases.

Keywords

urine drug screening - racial justice - reproductive justice - ethics - substance use disorder

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 15. Januar 2021

Angenommen: 03. Oktober 2021

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
10. Dezember 2021

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