Women with opioid use disorder and who are also involved with the criminal legal system face unique challenges and stigmas that may keep them from seeking substance use treatment and harm reduction tools that could prevent overdose deaths, according to new research led by a team from Penn State. Harm reduction strategies are evidence-based practices to engage people who use drugs and provide them with tools and information to reduce the risk of overdose. These practices can play a critical role in addressing the overdose crisis in the United States, especially when tailored to address women's needs.
Through in-depth interviews with women with opioid use disorder and professionals who work with them, the researchers identified recommendations for more effective drug treatment programs. Recommendations include increasing the accessibility of harm reduction tools, expanding harm reduction education, and shifting away from " abstinence only" paradigms within substance use treatment programs. They published their findings in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behavior.
"Improving engagement in overdose prevention and harm reduction practices is one challenge that must be addressed to mitigate the impacts of the U.S. overdose crisis," said Eric Harrison, graduate student in the human development and family studies program at Penn State and lead author of the paper.
"Finding ways to teach women with opioid use disorder about harm reduction, more effectively distribute harm reductio.