02/28/2026
Planning a family or just becoming new parents? Here's what you need to know in the age of the fentanyl epidemic.
Opioid use during and before pregnancy has adverse effects for both the mother and baby, but the effects of fentanyl by itself are not as often discussed.
As our partner Ben Westhoff shared at last year’s Beyond the Overdose panel, today’s drug supply is unpredictable. Illicit fentanyl is often mixed into counterfeit pills and other substances without people knowing. That means exposure isn’t always intentional. It can be accidental poisoning.
Long-term opioid exposure can disrupt hormones, menstrual cycles, and ovulation. In men, it can lower testosterone and impact s***m quality, and newer research shows s***m health plays a major role in miscarriage risk and pregnancy outcomes.
During pregnancy, fentanyl exposure (prescribed or illicit) is linked to preterm birth and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS is treatable, and evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder is still the safest path for parent and baby.
Postpartum is another vulnerable window. Many new parents are prescribed high-strength opioids after delivery, and leftover pills in the home can increase risk for misuse, diversion, or relapse.
So, where does this leave us?
In an era of counterfeit pills and accidental poisoning, awareness is power. Ask questions. Know what you’re taking. Talk openly with providers. Loop partners into the conversation. Always remember to treat medications as the powerful substances they are and use caution.
Huge thank you to Whitney Van Vleet, MA, MS, for connecting the dots between the fentanyl epidemic and fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum health, a conversation that rarely makes it into prevention spaces 💜
Read her blog: https://xfoundationx.org/post/Planning-a-family-or-just-becoming-new-parents-Here-s-what-you-need-to-know-in-the-age-of-the-fentanyl-epidemic
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