Overdoses in pregnancy and postpartum: how laws about drug use affect care
Official title: OVAL: Overdoses Among pregnant/postpartum Women and Laws Governing Drug Use in Pregnancy: A Mixed-Methods Project
Funded at Morehouse School of Medicine · NIH-11400943 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how state laws about drug use during pregnancy affect overdose risk and access to treatment for pregnant and new mothers who use drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Morehouse School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $702,467 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HD113292-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400943 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who are currently pregnant or within the postpartum period and who use or have used drugs, or who have sought substance use treatment during pregnancy, would be the most relevant participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of drug use or those who are not pregnant or postpartum would not be directly included and are unlikely to benefit immediately from this work.
What this research studies
If you are pregnant or recently had a baby and use drugs, this project combines law reviews, health records, and personal interviews to understand how different state policies affect safety and care. Researchers will compare states with punitive laws to those with supportive treatment policies and examine overdose and service-use data. They will also talk with pregnant and postpartum women and clinicians to hear real experiences of seeking care under these laws. The goal is to show whether laws push people away from care or make overdoses more likely so policies can be changed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform policy changes that reduce overdose deaths and improve access to substance use treatment for pregnant and postpartum people.
How similar studies have gone: A few prior studies suggest punitive laws harm pregnant people and reduce care-seeking, but the overall evidence is limited and this mixed-methods approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cooper, Hannah Lf — Morehouse School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Cooper, Hannah Lf
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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OVAL: How laws about drug use in pregnancy affect pregnant and new mothers who use drugs
A nationwide project is looking at how laws about drug use in pregnancy influence health for pregnant and postpartum women who use drugs.
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Understanding drug use and overdose risks among Black pregnant and postpartum women
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LA-MOM: Long-Acting HIV ART in Pregnancy and After Birth
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.