Prevalence and predictors of medication for opioid use disorder among reproductive-aged women

Women of reproductive age would benefit from treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) prior to pregnancy to improve maternal and infant outcomes. In this study, we aimed to identify the prevalence of medication for OUD (MOUD) and characterize correlates of MOUD receipt among 12-49-year-old women with OUD seeking treatment in publicly funded substance use disorder treatment programs at the time of their first treatment episode.

This cross-sectional study explores the demographic and clinical characteristics of women of reproductive age with OUD receiving publicly funded substance use treatment services. We used data from the concatenated 2015-2021 Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions (TEDS-A), which documents demographic and clinical characteristics of patient admissions to publicly funded substance use treatment services in the United States.

In the sample of females aged 12-49 with no prior treatment admissions and primary OUD (n=325,512), 40.53% received MOUD (n=131,930), including 39.40% of non-pregnant women (n=115,315) and 52.79% of pregnant women (n=8423). Pregnant women had significantly higher odds of receiving MOUD (aOR = 2.42, 95%CI: 2.30, 2.54) compared to non-pregnant women. Non-white race, treatment setting, and treatment self-referral were also associated with higher levels of MOUD.

We identified a significant unmet need among both pregnant and non-pregnant women with OUD seeking care in publicly funded treatment clinics. While women who are pregnant are significantly more likely to receive evidence-based treatment with MOUD, still 47.21% of pregnant women did not receive MOUD. All reproductive-aged women with OUD should be offered evidence-based treatment options, including MOUD.