title: Gender differences and pregnant women in a methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinic.
abstract: We prospectively compared gender outcome among 470 MMT patients admitted between June 1993 and Dec 2002. Urine samples were analyzed for drug abuse after one month and after one year. On admission females 131(27.9%) were significantly younger (34.5 +/-7.5 years) than males 339(72.1%) (37.3 +/- 8.3 years) (ANOVA; F = 11, p = 0.001) and had significantly higher cocaine abuse (20% vs. 11.3%) (Fisher's Exact Test, p = 0.02). After one year, groups had: (a) similar retention in treatment (76.3%-females, 72.6%-males), (b) stop in opiate abuse (65%-females, 65.3%-males), (c) a net decrease in cocaine abuse (% positive that became negative minus % negative that became positive) (68.0%-females, 51.6%-males). Females who were admitted to treatment while pregnant (n = 45) were significantly younger (31.5 +/-5.4 years) compared to 86 non-pregnant (36.1 +/- 7.9, ANOVA F = 12.1, p = 0.001). We concluded that compared to males, females started MMT younger and had a higher proportion of cocaine abuse even though females' outcome were similar to males'.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel-Aviv Elias Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel. einatp@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Einat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peles
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adelson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone