Study Examines Contraception Among Women Who Use Drugs in Rural Communities

Researchers looked at survey responses from women of reproductive age across eight rural U.S. regions to determine the association between contraceptive use and SUD treatment, healthcare utilization, and substance use. They found that less than 40 percent of respondents to the Rural Opioid Initiative (ROI) survey reported contraceptive use, compared to 66 percent responding to a more general survey on families, fertility, and health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Odds of contraceptive use increased, however, for ROI women who had received treatment for substance use disorder within the last 30 days.