Substance use among pregnant women in NSW prisons

Little is published about pregnant women in custody. Existing data on the prevalence of substance use among incarcerated pregnant women or their needs are scant. This study sought to determine the prevalence and characteristics of women with substance use histories who present to prison pregnant in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

A retrospective review of prison medical health records was completed for pregnant women entering New South Wales custodial settings between January 2020 and June 2021.

We identified 158 prison receptions among 141 pregnant women (median age 28 years [IQR 25-33 years]), 42 % identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Eighty four percent of the women (n = 119) reported recent use of one or more than one substance and 36 % had injected drugs. The most commonly used substances were (meth)amphetamine (60 %), cannabis (40 %) and opioids (28 %). We found discrepancies between drug problems self-reported at reception screening on entry to prison and self-reported drug use collected during the subsequent drug and alcohol specialist assessment while incarcerated. Most (88 %) women described their current pregnancy as unplanned and half (52 %) were unaware they were pregnant before incarceration.

These findings highlight the high prevalence of substance use in incarcerated pregnant women and that many women are unaware of their pregnancy prior to incarceration. Findings emphasize the importance of timely and appropriate drug and alcohol assessment and treatment to minimize harm for both the mother and foetus and also underscore the urgent need for enhanced access to contraception for these women.