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Screening for pregnancy and contraceptive use among women admitted to a Denver detoxification center
S Shah1, R Hoffman, R Shinault
1Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, CO 80246, USA. seema.shah@state.co.us
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of pregnancy and contraceptive use among female inpatients at a Denver detoxification center who were at risk of becoming pregnant.
Methods:
The authors administered surveys and pregnancy tests to 373 female admissions to the Denver CARES detoxification center between March and September 1996.
Results:
Most were admitted for alcohol-related reasons, and most reported previous pregnancies. Seven percent of admissions had positive pregnancy tests, and 56% of admissions reported not using contraceptives with every sexual encounter.
Conclusions:
Routine assessment of pregnancy status and contraceptive use in women admitted for detoxification, along with on-site family planning services, may be important components of efforts to prevent adverse outcomes associated with substance abuse during pregnancy, including fetal alcohol syndrome.