Running head: THE MORAL STRUGGLE OF PROJECT PREVENTION

The Moral Struggle of Project Prevention: Literature Review

Shae Howell
Salt Lake Community College
March 11, 2017
Running head: THE MORAL STRUGGLE OF PROJECT PREVENTION

The Moral Struggle of Project Prevention: A Literature Review.

Imagine this scenario in your mind: A severely drug addicted woman

on the streets finds out she is pregnant. Knowing full well she already has 14

children in the foster system, and no intentions of getting clean, a service

called Project Prevention will offer her $200.00 to be either sterilized (tubes

tied), or put on long-term birth control. Without a second thought, she takes

the money and continues her drug using, and she stops putting babies into

the world. It is a known fact that drug-addicted babies are in a world of

trouble. But is this the answer? Does she deserve a chance to change? Are

humans so cheap now? There are people on both sides and in-between

agreement on this service provided to mothers. This is a literature review of

the aspects of bribed-sterilization, birth control, for drug-addicted mothers.

The focus of this literature review will be Project Prevention. Project

Prevention is a US-based organization that aims to reduce the number of

infants who are exposed to illicit drugs by [paying] addicted individuals who

agree to undergo surgical sterilization explained by authors Lucke and Hall

(2011).

A major tension in the discussion is that its suggested these pregnant

women are being exploited in one of the weakest points in their lives. Can a

woman really make such a crucial judgement about her life and future when

she is not in the right state of mind? Some women have had the experience

of becoming pregnant while in the middle of a drug addiction, and the hope

and joy of learning they were going to be a mother helped them to stop
Running head: THE MORAL STRUGGLE OF PROJECT PREVENTION

using drugs. But according to Projectprevention.org, the number of children

in states custody is not worth the chance of a drug-addicted women to have

a change of heart. The Project Prevention website states In 1995, nearly 3.1

million children were reported to child protective services as abused or

neglected. Approximately one million substance abuse was found to be a

factor in a majority of these cases.

Not all women who use drugs are doing it by choice, and not all of

them want to keep using. In fact, many women turn their lives around once

they learn they are pregnant. The prospect of motherhood (both planned

and unplanned) provided some women with an incentive to stop using drugs

or to go into treatment Olsen, Banwell, & Madden (2014). These authors are

expressing that we cannot say that all drug addicts will never be able to

change or be affected by the chance of becoming mothers. Yet at the same

time, the effects of drugs on the fetus are real. Lucke et al explain that drug

use in pregnancy and the associated social disadvantages can have

potentially serious adverse effects on the mother, fetus pg 1037. It is a

known fact that fetus exposed to alcohol and drugs are in extreme danger,

and after they are born they have a much higher chance of being abused in

the home of such parents. (Projectprevention.org.)

The founder of Project Prevention, Barbara Harris, is the adoptive

mother of five children that were all born from the same drug-addicted

mother. She has had first-hand experience with what its like to have all

these children running around with nowhere to go. According to her website,
Running head: THE MORAL STRUGGLE OF PROJECT PREVENTION

Projectprevention.org: We calculated number or pregnancies, abortions,

stillborn, and children that died after birth for over 13 years. With nearly

5,000 abortions it is clear that abortion is used as a method of birth control.

Project Prevention is trying to curb the amount of women that end up giving

birth to sometimes 10-14 children throughout their drug-using careers. The

website has many testimonies of women who say they are glad they

received the money to be on long-term birth control. Although these babies

are in danger, one could ask if should someone be able to play God and

decide when and where someone can bring life into this world? These women

are in a foggy state of mind and dont know what is best for their future.

They need help in so many ways and might not realize the paramount

decision they are about to make. According to Lucke et al, The intervention

may not be wanted, or in fact be harmful to the recipients, thus breaching

individual liberty and violating respect for their autonomy. Pg. 1037. The

author is saying that these women have become objects and not considered

as a free human anymore. They now have a dollar sign above their heads.

Their drug addiction does not make them any less of a human with a soul

and emotion!

Some women have had the experience of becoming pregnant while in

the middle of a drug addiction, and the hope and joy of learning they were

going to be a mother helped them to stop using drugs. But according to

Projectprevention.org, the number of children in states custody is alarming.

The website states In 1995, nearly 3.1 million children were reported to
Running head: THE MORAL STRUGGLE OF PROJECT PREVENTION

child protective services as abused or neglected. Approximately one million

substance abuse was found to be a factor in a majority of these cases.

The opposing views argue that this kind of financial bribe is wrong, as

Derkas says, the low monetary enticement of two to three hundred dollars

is designed to attract a narrow target population consisting mostly of poor

and desperate women. But Projectprevention.org argues that they seek

and welcome alliances with all sectors of our communities including drug

treatment programs and hospitals. Derkas is saying that the program is

specifically focusing on poor women in bad areas. This may be true, but

these are the women that are getting pregnant and who also have drug

problems.

Some women view that it is good mothering to give up their children if

they have a drug problem Olsen et al, (2014) These women face a moral

dilemma of whether to abort the child or give it up to the state/adoption. But

the question here is not who did the most honorable thing with their child, it

is a question of what is the right moral response to a drug-addict women with

a baby growing inside her.

References
Running head: THE MORAL STRUGGLE OF PROJECT PREVENTION

Derkas, E. (2011). Dont let your pregnancy get in the way of your drug

addiction. Social Justice, Vol. 38 Issue 3, p125-144.

https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eft&AN=85998253&site=eds-live

Lucke, Hall, Wayne. (June 2012) Under what conditions is it ethical to offer

incentives to encourage drug-using women to use long-acting

forms of contraception? Addiction 107, pg 1036-1041.

https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ccm&AN=104565333&site=eds-live

Richie, C. (Nov, 2013) Voluntary Sterilization for Childfree Women. Hastings

Center Report. Vol 43(6): 36-44.

https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ccm&AN=104160412&site=eds-live

Project Prevention

http://www.projectprevention.org/statistics/

Olsen, Banwell, Madden (2014) Contraception, punishment, and women who

use drugs. BMC Womens Health. Pg. 14:5