Loading...
Epigenetics and biopolitics: moving away from using punitive policies to address opioid use in pregnancy
Rivera-Ulloa, Kathelyn Andrea
Rivera-Ulloa, Kathelyn Andrea
Citations
Altmetric:
Genre
Thesis/Dissertation
Date
2024-05
Advisor
Committee member
Group
Department
Urban Bioethics
Permanent link to this record
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/10228
Abstract
Opioid use in pregnancy is the latest in a long list of social issues in the United States that is being addressed with punitive policies that disproportionately affect women of color and their families and do not focus on environmental factors contributing to increasing drug use in pregnancy. Evidence is emerging demonstrating that these punitive policies are not achieving their intended goals. Additionally, these policies continue a trend of pitting maternal and fetal interests against each other. Historically, bioethics has divided conversations on biomedical and environmental ethics. However, recent merging of these fields may facilitate the biopolitical translation of emerging epigenetics research of substance use in pregnancy. This paper reviews the ineffectiveness of punitive policies in reducing drug use in pregnancy and related negative health outcomes for both mothers and infants. It demonstrates how these policies perpetuate racial injustice through existing systemic oppressive structures. Leveraging epigenetics to draw a link between the environment and the maternal-fetal dyad can help members of the scientific community advocate for policies that promote equitable and justice-based public health interventions as well as relieve the maternal fetal conflict.
Description
Citation
Citation to related work
Has part
ADA compliance
For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.edu