Ep. 99 - Helping Mothers, Healing Babies: Substance Use Disorder and Pregnancy - Stacey McKenna

In this conversation, Christina Dent and Stacey McKenna discuss the complexities of substance use, particularly in relation to motherhood and pregnancy. Stacey shares her personal journey with methamphetamine use and how it shaped her research as a medical anthropologist. They explore the impact of policies on substance use, the emotional context behind addiction, and the stigma surrounding mothers who use substances. The discussion emphasizes the importance of supportive environments and effective treatment options, particularly medications for opioid use disorder, to improve outcomes for both mothers and their children.   About Stacey: Stacey McKenna is a medical anthropologist and senior fellow in integrated harm reduction at the R Street Institute. She has conducted research on substance use and addiction in the United States and Malawi. In her work with R Street, she studies and writes about how policy affects people's abilities to protect their health.   Keywords: substance use, addiction, motherhood, prenatal care, harm reduction, policy, recovery, stigma, mental health, support systems