Module 7
Preventing stigma, stereotyping, and bias related to alcohol use in women
Presenter: Kathleen Tavenner Mitchell, MHS, LCADC Length: 24 minutes
It is easy to assume a woman who has a child living with an FASD fits a certain profile. This webinar discusses reasons why women may drink alcohol during pregnancy and how nurses can play a compassionate role in preventing FASD.
Access at www.npwh.org/courses/home/details/833. Registration may be necessary.
Learning objective
Discuss the role of the nurse in preventing FASD by supporting women with substance use disorders.
Suggested supplemental reading
ACNM Ethics Committee. Code of ethics with explanatory statements. Silver Spring, MD: American College of Nurse-Midwives; 2015.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Alcohol abuse and other substance use disorders: Ethical issues in obstetric and gynecologic practice. August 2015.
Keyes KM, Hatzenbuehler ML, McLaughlin KA, et al. Stigma and treatment for alcohol disorders in the United States. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2010;172(12):1364-1372.
Seiler NK. Alcohol and pregnancy: CDC's health advice and legal rights of pregnant women. Public Health Reports. 2016;131(4):623-627.
Suggested activities or assignments
Stigma can be perpetuated due to cultural factors and inadequate information. Using CDC’s feature on FASD at www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/FASD-Awareness.html, discuss how our own assumptions potentially impact our methods to address difficult topics, like alcohol use and pregnancy, in clinical care. How has universal screening reduced perceived stigma and bias for other health issues (e.g., malnutrition, domestic violence, depression)?
Small group changing stigmatizing language activity
Gather in small groups of 3 to 4 students. Choose one of the following statements.
Statement # 1: FASDs are caused when a mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy.
Statement # 2: FASDs are completely preventable if a developing baby is not exposed to alcohol before birth.
Statement # 3: Many women are drinking alcohol and not using adequate contraception. This may put them at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy.
Discuss ways in which the statement might be stigmatizing. Alter the statement in a way that you believe makes it less stigmatizing.
As a group present to the entire class the original statement, in what ways you thought it might be stigmatizing and how you changed the statement.