What are the risks of methamphetamine abuse
during pregnancy?
Prenatal exposure to
methamphetamine may
also be a problem in the
United States. Although according
to the NSDUH, less than 1 percent
of pregnant women aged
15-44 had used methamphetamine
in the past year, any use
among this population is of
concern. Unfortunately, our
knowledge of the effects of
methamphetamine during pregnancy
is limited. The few human
studies that exist have shown
increased rates of premature
delivery, placental abruption,
fetal growth retardation, and
heart and brain abnormalities.
However, these studies are
difficult to interpret due to
methodological issues, such as
small sample size and maternal
use of other drugs. Ongoing
research is continuing to study
developmental outcomes such
as cognition, social relationships,
motor skills, and medical
status of children exposed to
methamphetamine before birth.
Are methamphetamine abusers at risk
for contracting HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C?
Increased HIV and hepatitis B
and C transmission are
consequences of increased
methamphetamine abuse, not
only in individuals who inject the
drug, but also in noninjecting
methamphetamine abusers.
Among injection drug users,
infection with HIV and other
infectious diseases is spread
primarily through the re-use of
contaminated syringes, needles,
or other paraphernalia by more
than one person. However,
regardless of how it is taken, the
intoxicating effects of methamphetamine
can alter judgment
and inhibition and lead people
to engage in unsafe behaviors.
Methamphetamine has become
associated with a culture of risky
sexual behavior, both among
men who have sex with men
(MSM) and heterosexual populations.
This link may be due to
the fact that methamphetamine
and related psychomotor
stimulants can increase libido.
Paradoxically, long-term
methamphetamine abuse may be
associated with decreased sexual
functioning, at least in men.
The combination of injection and
sexual risk-taking may result in
HIV becoming a greater problem
among methamphetamine
abusers than among opiate and
other drug abusers, something
that already seems to be occurring,
according to some epidemiologic
reports. For example,
while the link between HIV
infection and methamphetamine
abuse has not yet been established
for heterosexuals, data
show an association between
methamphetamine abuse and the
spread of HIV among MSM.
Methamphetamine abuse may
also worsen the progression of HIV and its consequences. In
animal studies, methamphetamine
increased viral replication; in
human methamphetamine
abusers, HIV caused greater
neuronal injury and cognitive
impairment compared with
nondrug abusers.
NIDA-funded research has
found that, through drug abuse
treatment, prevention, and
community-based outreach
programs, drug abusers can
change their HIV risk behaviors.
Drug abuse can be eliminated
and drug-related risk behaviors,
such as needle-sharing and
unsafe sexual practices, can
be reduced significantly, thus
decreasing the risk of exposure
to HIV and other infectious
diseases. Therefore, drug abuse
treatment is HIV prevention.
What treatments are effective for
methamphetamine abusers?
At this time, the most
effective treatments for
methamphetamine addiction
are behavioral therapies
such as cognitive behavioral
and contingency management
interventions. For example, the
Matrix Model, a comprehensive
behavioral treatment approach
that combines behavioral therapy,
family education, individual
counseling, 12-Step support,
drug testing, and encouragement
for nondrug-related activities,
has been shown to be effective
in reducing methamphetamine
abuse. Contingency management
interventions, which provide
tangible incentives in exchange
for engaging in treatment and
maintaining abstinence, have
also been shown to be effective.
There are currently no specific
medications that counteract the
effects of methamphetamine or
that prolong abstinence from and
reduce the abuse of methamphetamine
by an individual
addicted to the drug. However,
there are a number of medications
that are FDA-approved for
other illnesses that might also be
useful in treating methamphetamine
addiction. Recent study
findings reveal that bupropion,
the anti-depressant marketed
as Wellbutrin, reduced the
methamphetamine-induced
"high" as well as drug cravings
elicited by drug-related cues.
This medication and others are
currently in clinical trials, while
new compounds are being
developed and studied in
preclinical models.
Where can I get further scientific
information about methamphetamine abuse?
To learn more about
methamphetamine and
other drugs of abuse,
contact the National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug
Information (NCADI) at
800-729-6686. Information
specialists are available to help
you locate information and
resources.
Fact sheets, including
InfoFacts, on the health effects of
methamphetamine, other drugs
of abuse, and other drug abuse
topics are available on the NIDA
Web site (www.drugabuse.gov),
and can be ordered free of
charge in English and Spanish
from NCADI at www.health.org.
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