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

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