Trusted contraception information sources for individuals with opioid use disorder.

OBJECTIVE (STUDY QUESTION): To identify trusted sources of contraception information among pregnancy-capable individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).

DATA SOURCES/STUDY

SETTING

We conducted interviews between October 2018 and January 2019 at Boston Medical Center, a university-based tertiary care center.

STUDY

DESIGN

Data were drawn from semi-structured qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of 20 pregnant or recently pregnant individuals with OUD. We used the Ottawa Decision Support Framework, a health decision making conceptual model, to structure our interviews. We analyzed the data using inductive and deductive coding.

DATA COLLECTION/ EXTRACTION

METHODS

Not applicable.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Pregnancy-capable individuals who use opioids value friends who are not actively using opioids, including peers in recovery homes, as trusted sources of contraception information. They also value internet resources, including websites recommended by clinicians and social media posts, and established clinical providers as reliable sources of contraception information in ways that emulate individuals with other chronic medical conditions.

CONCLUSION

These sources of contraception information may explain some trends in contraceptive use among individuals with OUD, inform nonstigmatizing contraceptive counseling, and serve as a foundation for improved decision support.