Main Findings
“They fail to realize [the stigma] is not who we are. That's not what we want in life, that's what the drugs have done to us. Being sober-minded, not anybody in their right mind would want to live that life.”
- Local Addicted Mother
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We interviewed a variety of health care professionals, law enforcement, and some women who are experiencing the addiction first hand. These one on one interviews helped us come to our main findings.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of pregnant women addicted to opioids has quadrupled from 1999 to 2014. Researchers have discovered that “the national prevalence rate grew by .39 cases per 1,000 each year.
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“Oftentimes we cast out people that suffer from addictions as the black sheep”
- Local community member
The nationwide epidemic hits Muncie in a unique way, including the struggle for pregnant addicted women. Our research focused on the stigma around these women and the treatment opportunities open to them.
One of the community’s perceptions is that these women don’t care enough to seek treatment. The truth is, addicted pregnant women hold “a lot of shame and embarrassment” which makes them hesitant to seek treatment. In order to seek treatment, some women look to their families for inspiration. Others point out how detrimental an unsupportive family can be.
One main finding was that some women discontinue treatment due to the strain it can put on family members or their children. We found that a family’s willingness to support depends on three components: knowledge on the addiction, how often they talk, and how closely they are related. Another barrier for seeking treatment is the cost for treatment and some women not being able to afford it.
The treatment facilities themselves are few and far between. There are limited treatment facilities, specifically for addicted pregnant women in Muncie. Our findings showed that there could be more collaboration between facilities within Muncie. There is also a lack of health care to cover the cost of these addiction treatments.
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"Community support has potential to help with change/progress"
