Is methadone maintenance treatment effective for women?
Yes. Since the earliest methadone maintenance treatment programs in the United States, women have been treated successfully with methadone through all phases of their lives, including pregnancy. There is consensus that the major outcomes of the effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment, especially cessation of illicit drug use and lifestyle stabilization, apply to both men and women. However, gender-specific issues, which are often related to the social status of women, are important to treatment effectiveness for female injection drug users. Compared with men, women are more likely to • Have total responsibility for child care • Have lower socioeconomic status • Encounter greater barriers to treatment entry, retention in treatment, and economic independence • Have different psychological, counseling, and vocational training needs • Have difficulty with transportation to treatment. Research Highlights • In the past, little emphasis was placed on gender-specific biopsychosocial p
