title: Characteristics of drug-abusing females with and without children seeking treatment in Helsinki, Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study characterizes treatment-seeking female users of illicit drugs in Finland, and examines possible differences among women with or without children under 18.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 2526 drug-using clients from the Helsinki metropolitan area, who sought treatment at Helsinki Deaconess Institute between 2001 and 2008. A total of 775 (30.6%) were females with complete information regarding their parental status. Of these, 225 (29%) had children under 18. The proportion of women with children varied between 20% and 30% annually, except in 2006, when it peaked at 40.5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with children were more likely to be somewhat older (p<0.001), married or cohabiting (p<0.001), homeless (p=0.007), unemployed (p<0.001), and living with other illicit drug users (p=0.014), compared with those without children. Self-referral and referral to treatment by child healthcare services were more common among those who had children (p<0.001). A higher proportion of women with children reported use of opiates as the primary drug (p<0.001), and used them more often intravenously (p=0.001), and daily (p=0.007), during the previous month. However, polydrug use (p=0.607) and sharing of needles/syringes (p=0.945) were similar in both groups. Prevalence of hepatitis B and C (p=0.041 and p<0.001, respectively) were more common in females with children. Among women who had children, 34.2% had children living within the same household, 37.3% in foster care, and 22.7% elsewhere.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with children had more risky drug consumption patterns, and were more likely to live with other drug users; this creates an unhealthy environment for child rearing.
authors: Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland basnet193@gmail.com.
authors: Sushil
authors: S
authors: Basnet
authors: Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors: Ifeoma N
authors: IN
authors: Onyeka
authors: Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Jari
authors: J
authors: Tiihonen
authors: Helsinki Deaconess Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Jaana
authors: J
authors: Föhr
authors: Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors: Jussi
authors: J
authors: Kauhanen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: Substance users; parental drug use; treatment-seeking