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Drugs + Pregnancy = Prison in Alabama | 21 comments (21 topical)

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The idea of jailing women instead of treating them (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by jerry on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 12:40:34 PM EST
is bizarre and outrageous.

I do have to say though, that if a woman was not interested in treating her addiction, and doctors agreed the addiction posed a significant danger to the fetus' mental or physical development, I might be open to presenting the woman a choice of abortion, treatment, or medical quarantine.

Usually it isn't the addiction itself (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by Fabian on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 02:13:03 PM EST
that poses the greatest risks, but the secondary effects like poor nutrition, disease, lack of medical care and so on.

Spina bifida is known to be caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency in the first two months - before even the first prenatal visit.  Prison won't help that.

Obviously, the best strategy is prevention by providing community health care and contraceptive services - not ignoring the problems and locking pregnant women up.

[ Parent ]

As a nurse I have to agree. I have (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by hairspray on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 02:33:03 PM EST
seen plenty of women who had alternatives but  wouldn't take advantage of them.  There is a fetus soon to become a drug addicted newborn if something both compassionate and realistic isn't done.  These kids have lots of learning and attention deficit problems as they grow and it isn't easy to find homes to repair that damage. Prevention is necessary, but prison isn't a good alternative, but some method of keeping the mother from drugs is necessary.  

[ Parent ]
Keep the mother from getting pregnant (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by Fabian on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 03:35:13 PM EST
would be even better.

I ran into one case years back that made me wish, briefly, for involuntary sterilization.  We had John XYZ in the hospital and someone familiar with the name thought it was Jack XYZ.  It wasn't.  In under ten months, one woman who was a drug addicted prostitute gave birth to two premature infants - both went straight into the foster care system.

This woman was neither going to give up the drugs she was addicted to nor going to give up the prostitution that she used to acquire them.  If she was determined to go down that self destructive path, my wish would be that at least she be prevented from getting pregnant.  

[ Parent ]

I thought Norplant would be a solution . (none / 0) (#11)
by hairspray on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 06:00:09 PM EST
It is implanted under the skin and emits progesterone/estrogen contraception for about 5 years. Somehow it lost its market because of some complications which I think were not major. This was to me a great temporary and reasonable approach.  Have the prostitute agree to the implantation and offer her drug recovery or money if she won't agree. Anything but keep her from getting pg.

[ Parent ]
I never found out what happened. (none / 0) (#12)
by Fabian on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 06:18:56 PM EST
But we had one prostitute arrested locally with a flaming case of MRSA.  She would have died without immediate medical treatment and she wouldn't have gotten the treatment if she hadn't gotten arrested.[shudder]

We need to really impress on women and girls that contraception should be more than an option.  It should be considered part of their responsibility for their health.  The health risks of pregnancy for women are often ignored.

[ Parent ]

Jesus H.... (none / 0) (#16)
by kdog on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 09:05:45 AM EST
what's the practical difference between prison and forced quarantine?  6 in one, half a dozen in the other.

So prison is off limits, but quarantine or forced abortion might be acceptable?  My tyranny alarm just went off.

Pregnant women making bad choices for their unborn child is tragic, be it drugs and alcohol, excess caffeine, or bad diet.  But frankly, I don't see what can be done about it except education, anything else borders on tyranny.  In a truly free society, people will make horrible choices, and we have no choice but to live with it if we want to live in a truly free society.

Besides the fact drugs are just as easy to get in prison as they are on the street.

[ Parent ]

Drugs + Pregnancy = Prison in Alabama | 21 comments (21 topical)

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