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YOUNG WOMEN AND SUBSTANCE USE

7 Modules 0 Chapters 28 Lessons

About this course

Welcome to the Young Women and Substance Use online course. We are hoping to engage you in an opportunity to both learn during these modules, but also to reflect on the questions we pose. The rate of substance use and misuse during pregnancy, particularly for opioids, has risen over the past several years. This is cause for concern for more than one reason. Substance use and abuse during pregnancy can impact a developing baby in the first weeks or months of life, as well as in ways that can last for a lifetime. It also impacts your health as a woman and as a parent. The healthier a person is while carrying a baby, the healthier the baby will be. Positive outcomes following pregnancy for both women and their babies is our goal.
 
These modules may have parts that feel as though they do not apply to you, or they may bring up sensitive topics. We ask everyone to come to this with an open mind and a willingness to learn more about opioid and other drug use. The intent is not to judge any person, but to increase awareness around substance use during pregnancy, reduce preventable maternal and infant health issues, and to encourage young women to plan for the future they desire.
 
This curriculum is intended to encourage discussion and learning about substance use
in a young woman’s life. It is intended for use with emerging adult women aged 18 – 25 years and assumes there will be a wide range of knowledge and experiences among the participants. The focus of much of the module content is making healthy and informed decisions about substance use in pregnancy and understanding how substance use can impact a developing baby. The information in this curriculum is arranged in a series of 6 modules, each covering a specific area of content, which are outlined in the course structure below.

Important Note: We recognize that not all people identify as men or women. When using the term “women,” we mean those who identify as women or those who might one day desire to become pregnant. We believe the information in this curriculum is beneficial for anyone to know regardless of gender identity.

Once you are ready to start the curriculum, click the “Learn More” button below which will bring you to the first module! Click on the “Next Lesson” button on the bottom of each page to move through each section. If you have any questions before you start or throughout the course, feel free to refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page

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Course Structure

5 Lessons

Module 1 – Substance Use in the Context of Your Life

Highlights why we are addressing women within this age group and why we are concerned about exposure during pregnancy. It aims to put substance use within the context of a young woman’s life.

Lesson 1

Introduction, Putting It in Context, Why Your Age Group? Why This Topic?, Polysubstance use is the Norm, Concern for Prenatal Exposure, Timing of Use, and Stages of a Baby’s Development

Lesson 2

Substance Use in the Past Year, Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year, and Substance Use in the Past Month

Lesson 3

Reproductive Health, Alcohol Use, Healthy Relationships, Decision Making, Reasoning, Listening to Your Intuition, and Decision Making

Lesson 4

Women in Relationships, The Different Reasons People Use, What is Addiction/Substance Use Disorder, Biology and Family History Play a Role, Consider Family History, and Context: Reflections

Knowledge Assessment

3 Lessons

Module 2 – Opioids and Pregnancy

This module covers the issue of opioid use during pregnancy, and the increasing issue of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Lesson 5

Introduction, Increase in Opioid Use in Georgia, Heroin - Involved Overdoses in Georgia, Opioid Overdose Death Rates by Sex, Opioid Overdose Death Rates by Age, Emergency Department Visit Rates by Sex and Age, Opioid Deaths and Other Drugs, and Withdrawal Symptoms in Adults

Lesson 6

A Tale of Two Trends, Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome - Signs, Non-Narcotic Drugs Causing Behavior Consistent with Withdrawal, Timing of Symptoms and Resolution, NAS Rates by Maternal County of Residence, NAS Cases Have Increased Exponentially, Polysubstance Abuse, Exposure to Opioids, Things to Remember

Knowledge Assessment

3 Lessons

Module 3 – Alcohol and Pregnancy

Covers the issue of alcohol use during pregnancy, developmental issues caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, and the lifelong impact the use of alcohol in pregnancy can cause.

Lesson 7

Introduction, Why Do Women Drink?, Your Metabolism, What Constitutes “Risky” Drinking?, What About a “Binge” for a Woman?, Percent of Women 18-44 Reporting Binge Drinking, and What Are the Risks of Alcohol Use?

Lesson 8

Birth Defects, Critical Periods of Development, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, How is FAS Diagnosed?, Alcohol in Pregnancy and Impact on Development, and Alcohol Exposure Across the Lifespan

Knowledge Assessment

3 Lessons

Module 4 – Marijuana and Pregnancy

Discusses the issue of marijuana and THC use during pregnancy, and what is known about how it may impact developmental issues in children.

Lesson 9

As became clear when we discussed opioids and alcohol during pregnancy, many young women struggling with substance use in pregnancy are polysubstance users. This becomes especially apparent when we look at marijuana use in young women and pregnancy.

Lesson 10

For pregnant women or women who might become pregnant, an increase in marijuana use can be especially problematic.

Knowledge Assessment

3 Lessons

Module 5 – Tobacco/Vaping and Pregnancy

Discusses the issue of nicotine and tobacco use during pregnancy, including vaping. Tobacco is well-documented in research for having the potential to cause issues in babies of mothers who smoke while pregnant.

Lesson 11

Introduction, Nicotine and Pregnancy, Rates of Nicotine Use, and Nicotine and Low Birth Weight

Lesson 12

Nicotine and Potential Problems in Babies, Nicotine and Development, Let's Take a Quiz, How an E-cigarette Works, and Harmful Chemicals in E-cigarettes

Knowledge Assessment

4 Lessons

Module 6 – Resilience and Wrap Up Module

We will provide important points we hope participants take away from this course.

Lesson 13

Introduction, Resiliency, What Do We Mean by Resilience?, and What Does Your Future “Story” Look Like?

Lesson 14

Know your support network, Things to Remember, Take Aways, and Resources

Knowledge Assessment

Module References

7 Lessons

Module Resources & FAQ

What follows in this resource section are examples of supporting materials for the topics we just discussed. There are fact sheets and infographics about substance use during pregnancy, and a list of websites and online resources that you can access. As a note, all phone numbers and websites are current as of Fall 2021. We hope you will find these resources helpful as you move forward in life, making important decisions about your health and the health of your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Resources

Introduction, People You Can Talk To, Helpful Websites: Sex, Pregnancy, and the Female Body, Reproductive Life Plan, Helpful Websites: Substance Use Support, and Self Assessment

Alcohol Fact Sheets

Tobacco/Vaping Fact Sheets

Marijuana Fact Sheets

Opioids Fact Sheets

Other Drugs Fact Sheets

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