Substance use can be harmful to your health and can lead to addiction. This includes the use of illegal drugs, and not using prescription medicine and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine as directed. When pregnant, substance use can cause harm to your health, and the health of your baby – harm that may last for life.
Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy and fentanyl are some examples of illegal drugs.
Drug use can affect a person’s thinking and mood and may affect how you make decisions. This might include unsafe sex practices leading to an increased risk of STIs or unintended pregnancy. There may also be increased risk for physical injuries, infections like hepatitis or HIV, overdose and even death.
If you are concerned about your own or your partner’s use of drugs, your health care provider can help you find the right support. Talking to your health care provider about your drug use can prevent harmful interactions of prescription medicine with other drugs.
Call the AHS Addiction Helpline, toll-free, 24/7 at 1-866-332-2322 or go to AHS Addiction & Mental Health to find more info and services in your area.
To learn more about the effects of drugs on pregnancy, go to Alcohol or Drug Use During Pregnancy.
Using drugs can affect your ability to conceive a baby and can cause harm to your reproductive health.
Some drugs can change the menstrual cycle, affecting the ability to become pregnant, and can cause problems during pregnancy.
Some drugs can lower testosterone levels which affects sperm production. Conceiving a baby may be more difficult because of a low sperm count or how the sperm move.
Learn more about fertility.
During pregnancy, the placenta and the umbilical cord connect mom and baby. If drugs are used during pregnancy, they can pass through the placenta and the developing baby can be affected.
Developing babies exposed to drugs are at higher risk for many problems:
These can lead to life-long physical or mental challenges.
Illegal drugs could also be mixed with other substances and contaminants that could harm you and your developing baby.
If you’re planning to become pregnant or are already pregnant and are concerned about your drug use, help is available. Talk to your health care provider, or call the AHS Addiction Helpline, toll-free, 24/7, at 1-866-332-2322. For more info and to find services in your area go to AHS Addiction & Mental Health.
You can call Health Link at 811.
You can call the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322
If you’re concerned about your own or someone else’s use, free, confidential counselling services are available throughout Alberta.
Help is available. If you want information on cutting down and quitting drug use, talk to your health care provider about safe ways that are right for you.
Ready or Not contains a lot of information. So we created My To-Do List for you to use as a personal reminder, share with your partner, or bring to your next check-up.
Be sure to click “Add this to my To-Do List” anytime you see something you want to print, email, save, or share. Because we do not ask for any personal information, your list will only be saved for a week after your last added item.
