The link between substance use and reproductive health service utilization among young US women

Kelli Stidham Hall, Caroline Moreau, James Trussell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The authors sought to investigate associations between young women's use of alcohol and other substances and their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service utilization. Methods: The authors used data from 4421 young women aged 15-24 years in the nationally representative study, National Survey of Family Growth, 2002-2008. The authors examined associations between frequency of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug use and SRH service use in the past year using logistic regression. Results: Over half (59%) of the young women used SRH services, including contraception (48%), gynecological examination (47%), and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing/treatment (17%) services. Proportions of SRH service use increased with higher frequencies of substance use (all P values <.001); service use was particularly common among daily substance users (range: 72% of daily marijuana users to 83% of daily binge drinkers). In multivariable analyses, associations between substance and SRH service use varied by substance and service type: weekly marijuana (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.4, 4.3, P =.002) and alcohol (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1, 2.4, P =.01) use were positively associated with gynecological service use. All substances were positively associated with STI service use. However, daily smoking was negatively associated with contraceptive service use (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4, 0.8, P =.001). Conclusion: SRH service use was common among women reporting frequent substance use. SRH settings provide an opportunity to deliver substance use screening and preventive care to young women.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)283-291
Number of pages9
JournalSubstance Abuse
Volume34
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2013

Keywords

  • Alcohol
  • health service utilization
  • marijuana
  • reproductive health
  • substance use
  • tobacco

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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