Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) have been a well-established treatment for pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD), yet little is known about the standard of care practices and access to medications within U.S. jails. 

To better understand this knowledge gap, the Advocacy and Research on Reproductive Wellness of Incarcerated People (ARRWIP) study, a NIDA-funded initiative led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, conducted a study to assess the availability of MOUD for the treatment of pregnant people with OUD in 836 U.S. jails. Researchers found that 60% of U.S. jails reported continuing to provide MOUD to pregnant people who were receiving medication before incarceration; only 32% of jails initiate MOUD to people during pregnancy. 

 

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Study citation:

Sufrin, C., Kramer, C. T., Terplan, M., Fiscella, K., Olson, S., Voegtline, K., & Latkin, C. (2022). Availability of medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder among pregnant and postpartum individuals in US jails. JAMA Network Open, 5(1), e2144369. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44369