Special Population: Pregnant Women, Especially African Americans

This paper discusses the unique issues faced by pregnant women, especially African Americans, in relation to drug use and the challenges in providing substance abuse treatment. It explores the reasons behind drug use, physical effects on the body, and the need for counseling and treatment strategies.

Special population paper
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Chosen population: Pregnant Women especially the African Americans
It is evident that women face various unique issues when it comes to drug use, which is typically
influenced by sex and gender-based social roles. Women who use multiple drugs may have
problems which are relatively related to hormones, menstrual cycle, fertility and thus pregnancy.
In this case, women may be deeply involved in drugs to fight off exhaustion. Control weight or
pain and also to attempt in self-treatment options for the health problems that come from this
situation (Jansson, & Patrick,2018). This particular population utilize drug substances in
distinctive amounts and always respond differently in behavioural aspects. This chosen
population can experience more physical effects on the body, for example, the blood vessels and
heart failure.
Women are also likely to get into delivery or emergency room before the required time as an
after effect of the drugs used.
Most African American women are faced by challenges like domestic violence, racial prejudice
and gender-based stereotypes hence opting to get into drugs in order to feel self-value.it is also
evident that divorce rates and loss of children custody among the African American shave been
increasingly high hence contributing to this particular issue of pregnant women getting into
drugs.
African American women may also have been sexually mistreated. The rape, as a result, might
have brought about the exiting pregnancy hence promoting the women to dwell in drugs for
consolation.it might be a way of dealing with short term rejection and prejudice from the cruel
judgment of the people in the society and also family members (Ke, Greupink, &

Abduljalil,2018). This makes the women to be deeply engaged in drug use without knowing that
they are addicted.
This brings about body effects like anxiety, panic attacks, depression and other mental health
disorders.it can also bring about the death of both the woman and even lead to miscarriages. This
is thus potential harm to both the woman and unborn baby.
It is therefore essential for a clinician to counsel the pregnant women and offer treatment
strategies for them to stop using the drugs (Stevens, & Smith, 2018).However, during substance
abuse treatment, clinicians agree that there exist various challenges to this form of therapy.
The client might lack the motivation for treatment and maintenance of progress. This is often
brought about by the perceptions of the African American society, which as has been faced by
gender role issues and racial discrimination challenges (May 2009). They also make the women
have limited access to the substance use treatment resources and facilities.
The pregnant women face low social support and small financial services, which is challenging
in prenatal care hence making them be stressed up affect the treatment process.
They also experience difficulties connecting to the treatment services and resist to enter the
scheduled treatment.
To ensure long term sobriety, the clinicians, counsellors and also treatment providers should
address the underlying issue which projects this population's substance addiction.The counselling
session skills should be different to help women struggling with substance abuse. Resources and
treatment facilities should also be readily available for them.

References
Jansson, L. M., & Patrick, S. W. (2018). Breastfeeding and the substance-exposed dyad. In
Opioid use disorders in pregnancy: management guidelines for improving outcomes(pp.
127-138). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (United Kingdom).
Ke, A. B., Greupink, R., & Abduljalil, K. (2018). Drug dosing in pregnant women: challenges
and opportunities in using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling and
simulations. CPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology, 7(2), 103-110.
May G.G. (2009) Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addiction. San
Francisco: Harper
Stevens, P. & Smith, R.L. (2018) Substance Abuse Counseling – Theory and Practice (6th
Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall