AMWA Initiatives
The American Medical Women’s Association advocates to bring under-addressed issues to the forefront of the national agenda.
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Opioid Addiction in Women Task Force
Educational programs (existing and in development) for healthcare providers address:
- Risks of opioid addiction in women, including from prescription medications,
- Sex differences in pain experience and opioid response that could lead to addiction
- Differences in care between women and men who have similar conditions associated with pain (e.g., orthopedic procedures)
- Possible solutions such as
- Using non-opioid alternatives to manage pain
- Focusing on improving patient function rather than pain scores
- Offering LARCs to reproductive age women who use opioids chronically, including those undergoing medication-assisted treatment, at the time of accessing the healthcare system (with Medicaid coverage)
- Identifying and preventing neonatal abstinence (withdrawal) syndrome
- Need for training of broader range of healthcare professionals who care for women in medication assisted treatment
Educational programs (existing and in development) for the public address:
- Administration of Naloxone
- Use of non-opioid alternatives (medications, physical therapy, acupuncture, and other non- pharmacological alternatives) for management of pain for patients with or without opioid addiction
- Education of women of reproductive age and pregnant women about contraception options, opioid addiction and risks to the fetus, including neonatal abstinence syndrome
PowerPoint Materials
- Post-Operative Pain: The role of patient expectations, pre-operative counseling, and non-opioid treatment options
- Pain and Pain Management in Women- Impact of sex and gender
- Sex Differences in Pain and Opioid Addiction
Events / News
- AMWA’s Opioid Task Force Acknowledges World Hepatitis Day
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