Do pregnant drug users voluntarily seek drug treatment and prenatal health care?
Yes. Despite all of the obstacles, studies consistently find that pregnant drug users are particularly motivated to seek health care. 9 The problem is not lack of motivation, but rather lack of appropriate, non-punitive services. Are there enough treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women? No. For many women, successful treatment requires comprehensive residential programs that do not force mothers to be separated from their children. 10 While there are now several residential programs in the state, all have limited bed space and place restrictions on the number of family members a woman may bring with her. Even those residential programs that do exist must struggle for funding each year, lack sufficient numbers of available beds and must put people on waiting lists. One such program is located next to a toxic waste site and must move even though no alternative site is yet available. 11 A review of all types of drug treatment in the state concluded that South Carolina’s “women
