ARU project team
Louise Prothero
Senior Research Fellow
This research programme aims to address the health inequalities associated with addiction in terms of reproductive and sexual health, and enable better access to, and links between addiction and contraceptive/women’s health services.
Women engaging in problematic substance use, often with chaotic lifestyles, experience barriers in accessing contraceptive, reproductive and women’s healthcare tailored to their needs. Alongside the broader health harms of substance use, there is a link between addiction, unplanned pregnancy, and poorer health and well-being outcomes for mother and child.
The link between addiction and menopausal symptoms is also well established. Women in recovery may experience menopausal symptoms which mimic the symptoms of withdrawal, or provoke anxiety and other mental health issues which may threaten recovery.
These potential threats to good health and well-being can be ameliorated by services informed by the voices of women, and which seek to empower them by developing services that are acceptable and accessible.
This ongoing research aims to amplify the voices of women who use drug addiction and substance misuse services regarding their access to contraceptive, reproductive and women’s health services. Working with service providers and women themselves, it also aims to improve links between women’s health and addiction services, and to address the health inequalities associated with addiction in terms of reproductive and sexual health.
This project aligns with the aims of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, which prioritises equality of access to services for all women, and addresses two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, and SDG 3: Ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
This project has several strands, including to extensive Public and Patient Involvement (PPI), a systematic review, and a planned PhD studentship.
The PPI work has been carried out with providers of addiction services and support services for those in recovery, both in the NHS and charitable sector. This work was supported by ARU's Health, Performance and Wellbeing fund.
Further PPI work with women in active addiction or in recovery was supported by a grant from ARU’s Let’s Shape Research Together Participatory Research Funding, and from the HCRC. Read more about our PPI work (PDF).
Funding from the Health & Care Research centre was also used to conduct a systematic review of the published literature on the views and preferences of women with addiction issues regarding contraceptive use and provision. This systematic review is registered with Prospero and is due to be completed in July 2025.
An application has been made to the Economic and Social Research Council’s CAM-Doctoral Training Partnership to fund a studentship for a doctoral candidate to undertake research directly with women in addiction or recovery to amplify the voices of female service users, so that services can be tailored to their circumstances, preferences and needs.
Hooks, C., Walker, S. and Whittle, N. (2025) 'Participatory Research Fund Project: PPIE with Women with Addiction Issues' report (PDF)
We would like to hear from service providers who are interested in working with us to develop access points to contraceptive, reproductive and women’s health services for women with addiction problems as a pilot study, and to help evaluate this pilot. Email [email protected] for more information and to express your interest.
Senior Research Fellow