Pitt study: Pregnant Black women disproportionately tested for drug use at hospitals

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Having a baby and being subjected to a drug test has been a long-running practice at hospitals in Pennsylvania. 

But a recent University of Pittsburgh study shows race played a role in the testing. 

“We found that regardless of the patient’s history of drug use, Black patients were disproportionately tested at labor and delivery,” said Dr. Marian Jarlenski, associate professor of health policy and management at Pitt.

Jarlenski, who led the research, believes the reason for the unequal testing is bias. 

“We feel that these data add to what we know about why Black patients might feel distrustful of the medical system,” she said.

The research looked at data from nearly 40,000 women who delivered babies at an undisclosed, large health care system in Pennsylvania between 2018 and 2021. Seventy-six percent of the moms were white and 16 percent were Black.

“Among those who had not used any drugs in the year prior to having their baby, about 7 percent of Black patients were tested compared to about 4 percent of white patients,” Jarlenski said.

“Even if a mother, a Black mother, says that she is not using, she ends up being tested anyway And, that’s where the bias is and that’s what we have to deal with,” said Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, Allegheny Health Network’s senior vice president and chief clinical diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

Larkins-Pettigrew said AHN works to incorporate anti-bias staff training at multiple stages.

“We talk about micro-aggressions,” she said. “We talk about privilege. We want to talk about all of those things that hadn’t been talked about before because we want people to be comfortable understanding their own bias.”

KDKA-TV asked UPMC to provide someone to interview on its procedures on implicit bias but was told no expert was available. 

Meanwhile, Jarlenski believes discretionary drug testing of women giving birth could have a chilling effect.

“These kind of testing procedures are viewed as punitive by Black patients, and it may actually dissuade Black patients from seeking prenatal care,” she said.

The researcher said drug testing pregnant women is not a requirement and that there are other federally recommended screening tools.

The Pennsylvania health care system that was studied has changed its labor and delivery protocol.