Abstract
This article examines the reproduction of stigma in maternity services by exploring the workplace discourse of antenatal staff in three hospital trusts. Interviews with antenatal staff, field notes and observation of antenatal practice carried out as part of a larger study into the experiences of substance‐misusing women of antenatal services in three hospital trusts are referred to. It is argued that since stigma and judgmental attitudes have been found to be a barrier for substance‐misusing women’s access to antenatal care, discourse concerning drug‐using pregnant women and how it is deployed by staff must be taken seriously. The article concludes that these findings emphasize the continued need—set out in recent guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2010)—for regular training for antenatal staff about substance misuse, opiate substitution therapy and the social and emotional experiences of a substance‐misusing lifestyle. There is also a need for funding of specialist substance‐misuse midwifery posts and centres of expertise in order for guidance and policy to be properly implemented.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 497-506 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | British Journal of Midwifery |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Keywords
- SUBSTANCE MISUSE
- METHADONE
- Stigma
