Improving Effective Contraceptive Use Among Opioid-maintained Women

Nearly 9 of every 10 pregnant opioid-dependent women report that the current pregnancy was unintended and the majority of non-pregnant opioid-maintained women do not use contraception or use less effective methods like condoms. This proposal aims to develop and test a novel contraceptive management program to increase use of more effective contraceptives among opioid-maintained women and to examine the impact of more effective contraceptive use on condom use. The proposed research may reduce unintended pregnancy among opioid-dependent women without increasing their risk of sexually transmitted infections and the knowledge gained will also have implications for addressing high rates of unintended pregnancy in the general population.