Abstract

The present study examines how substance-using women in the street sex trade formulate understandings of pregnancy at the intersections of healthcare, social services, and family systems in ways that reflect internalized dominant cultural assumptions about substance use, motherhood, and the street sex trade. Three primary frameworks emerged with respect to pregnancy-related decision-making as prompted by heightened scrutiny, intensified stigma, and prioritization of fetal over maternal wellbeing. Healthcare, social services, and family systems can improve care for pregnant substance-using women in the street sex trade by acknowledging the dynamic interplay between women’s substance use, relationships, and pregnancy-related decision-making as well as the intersectional harms compounded by child custody loss and persistent lack of support to low-income women.

摘要

本研究探讨了街头性交易中的吸毒妇女如何在医疗保健、社会服务和家庭系统的交叉点形成对怀孕的理解，以反映关于吸毒、母性和街头性交易的内化主流文化假设。随着审查的加强、耻辱感的加剧以及胎儿对母体健康的优先考虑，出现了与妊娠相关的决策制定的三个主要框架。医疗保健、社会服务和家庭系统可以通过承认妇女的物质使用、关系、