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Why Alcohol, Not Cannabis, Is Fueling Surprise Pregnancies in Young Women
Scitech Daily ^ | August 06, 2025 | Society for the Study of Addiction

Posted on 08/06/2025 7:15:58 AM PDT by Red Badger

Heavy drinking, not cannabis, was tied to a sharp increase in unintended pregnancies—even among women actively trying to avoid them.

The study reveals a gap between intention and outcome that alcohol may be widening.

A Risky Link Between Alcohol and Unwanted Pregnancy

According to a new study, women who strongly wanted to avoid pregnancy were significantly more likely to become pregnant if they engaged in heavy drinking. Their risk was 50% higher compared to women who drank moderately or did not drink at all. On the other hand, cannabis use showed no connection to increased chances of undesired pregnancy. Women who used cannabis were just as likely to avoid pregnancy as those who didn’t use it.

The study began with a larger group of over 2,000 non-pregnant women between the ages of 15 and 34. From that group, researchers focused on 936 participants who expressed a clear desire not to get pregnant. Among them, 429 reported heavy alcohol use (based on a standard alcohol screening questionnaire), and 362 reported using cannabis. Of those cannabis users, 157 said they used it daily or almost daily.

Interestingly, both heavy drinkers and frequent cannabis users were more likely to report a stronger desire to avoid pregnancy compared to those who drank lightly or not at all, and those who didn’t use cannabis.

Heavy Drinking Drives Pregnancy Risk

Over the following year, 71 of the 936 women who were actively trying not to get pregnant ended up becoming pregnant. More than half of those unintended pregnancies (38) occurred in the group that drank heavily. That number exceeded the combined total among women who drank moderately or didn’t drink at all. The findings suggest that heavy alcohol use is clearly linked to a higher risk of undesired pregnancy when compared with lower or no alcohol consumption.

Cannabis Use Shows No Elevated Risk

In contrast, less than half of the 71 undesired pregnancies (28) occurred among people who used cannabis, meaning that those who used cannabis did not show an elevated risk of undesired pregnancy compared with people who did not use cannabis.

Lead author Dr. Sarah Raifman, of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, comments: “This study made two important findings. First, non-pregnant women who drink heavily appear, on average, to have a higher desire to avoid pregnancy than those who drink moderately or not at all. Second, drinking heavily as opposed to moderately or not at all appears to put those who most want to avoid pregnancy at higher risk of becoming pregnant within one year. Finding out why those pregnancies happen is the next step in our research.”

Health Implications and Medical Guidance

“In the meantime, given the potentially life-altering effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (which occur when a fetus is exposed to alcohol through the mother’s drinking) and the fact that the risk of FASD increases with the amount and duration of the mother’s drinking, it’s important for doctors and clinicians to support women who drink heavily to stop drinking as soon as they suspect an unintentional pregnancy.”

Reference:

“Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study”

by Sarah Raifman, Sarah C. M. Roberts and Corinne H. Rocca, 30 July 2025, Addiction.

DOI: 10.1111/add.70135


TOPICS: Food; Health/Medicine; History; Society
KEYWORDS: beer; etoh; liquor; pregnancy; spirits; weed; wine
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To: Red Badger

What is this crappola? Another study from the 1860’s? Fer Gawd’s sake, have yah never heard of “plying her with liqqer”?


41 posted on 08/06/2025 8:26:23 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: Red Badger

Cannabis also seems to make one see more clearly and with better artistic judgement. Alcohol has that “coyote girl” affect.


42 posted on 08/06/2025 8:30:10 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: Red Badger

What a shock.


43 posted on 08/06/2025 8:31:02 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: silent majority rising

Candy is dandy, but sex doesn’t rot your teeth.


44 posted on 08/06/2025 8:31:38 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: Red Badger

A Tia Maria will go a long way.

But conception is a bridge too far.


45 posted on 08/06/2025 8:33:28 AM PDT by Candor7 (Ask not for whom the Trump Trolls,He trolls for thee!<img src="" width=500</img><a href="">tag</a>) )
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To: Red Badger

Is this a Captain Obvious thing?

Women drinking and being easy is older than I am and I am 63.


46 posted on 08/06/2025 8:37:17 AM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: NorthMountain
A woman actively trying to NOT get pregnant should avoid one specific activity. In fact, I dare say that if she engages in this specific activity, she is NOT actively trying to not get pregnant. She's lying ...

Hmmmm. I wonder what that activity would be.

47 posted on 08/06/2025 8:43:42 AM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn’t become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: Red Badger

There’s no closing time for pot.


48 posted on 08/06/2025 9:35:41 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: Red Badger
Wow - they're just figuring this out? If it wasn't for booze and Saturday nights half of us wouldn't be here.


49 posted on 08/06/2025 10:25:10 AM PDT by CtBigPat (Epstein's client list did not kill itself.)
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To: Red Badger

They are not “trying to avoid” them. They are daring them. If they were trying to avoid them they would not be fornicationg.


50 posted on 08/06/2025 10:27:49 AM PDT by arthurus (| covfefe | .)
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To: allendale

not just ‘recreational’ drugs but prescribed drugs


51 posted on 08/06/2025 1:28:09 PM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: Red Badger

They actually spent money to “discover” that heavily liquored women were more likely to get unexpectedly pregnant??? Shame on them!


52 posted on 08/06/2025 1:31:12 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (FBI out of Florida!)
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To: allendale
Cannabis and prenancy is a topic that requires far more attention and research. The incidence of autism since 1965 has increased almost expotentially in the US. This parallels the increased use of marijuana and other “recreational” drugs by young people. Many women of child bearing age regularly use these drugs, and often don’t realize they are in the early stages of pregnancy when the neurological system of the fetus is rapidly developing. IMHO the recent “legalization” of these drugs will result in yet a further increase in the incidence of autism.

My wife NEVER smoked MJ. Back to the drawing board.

53 posted on 08/07/2025 2:19:28 AM PDT by BlackbirdSST
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Well, it’s nice to know the ‘Old Ways’ still work.................


54 posted on 08/07/2025 5:14:43 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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