Maternal and child health journal
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Matern Child Health J · Dec 2020
Demographic Discrepancies in Prenatal Urine Drug Screening in Washington State Surrounding Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Accessibility.
This study evaluated demographic patterns related to prenatal cannabinoid urine drug screening (UDS) over a 5-year period during which recreational marijuana was legalized and became accessible in Washington State. ⋯ Prenatal UDS testing patterns changed as recreational marijuana possession and accessibility became legal. Demographic discrepancies in testing reveal biases related to race and insurance status, which may be a proxy for socioeconomic status. As such discrepancies are potential contributors to health outcome disparities, it is important for providers and health care systems to examine their practices and ensure they are being appropriately, equally, and justly applied.