“I just was really scared, because it's already such an uncertain time”: Exploring women's abortion experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

Hukku, Srishti; Ménard, Andréanne; Kemzang, Julia; Hastings, Erin; Foster, Angel M.

doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2022.01.014

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These findings add to emerging literature about the impact of the pandemic on abortion care by highlighting the increasingly complex process individuals navigated in the first year of the pandemic. EOs deeming abortion as non-essential likely intensified challenges, as accessing abortion even in less restrictive environments was increasingly complex due to public health-related responses [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Recent studies have shown how both EOs and the COVID-19 pandemic affected abortion provision in the U.S and other Global North countries [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. A survey of independent abortion facilities found EOs significantly disrupted services, and roughly 70% of independent facilities in states that deemed abortion “non-essential” temporarily closed, canceled, or postponed services [10] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Seeking abortion care in Ohio and Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic

Carpenter¹,

Gyuras²,

Burke³

et al. 2023

Contraception

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking abortion care in Ohio and Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic

Carpenter¹,

Gyuras²,

Burke³

et al. 2023

Contraception

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…The Indigenous people who participated in this study put forward practical solutions for improving access to and experiences with abortion services in Canada. While recommendations for increased support, accessibility, availability, comfortability, and awareness have been highlighted in other Canadian abortion literature, 7 , 9 , 33 , 34 Indigenous voices and experiences have yet to be heard. 11 Like other Canadian studies, Indigenous participants in our study spoke to the need for abortion access supports, including help with appointment bookings, travel, advocacy during appointments, and/ or post-abortion support.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I would love for there not to be so many hoops … ”: recommendations to improve abortion service access and experiences made by Indigenous women and 2SLGTBQIA+ people in Canada

Monchalin,

Jubinville,

Pérez Piñán

et al. 2023

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Acknowledging the barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services that disproportionately impact Indigenous women and 2SLGTBQIA+ people, coupled with the lack of knowledge surrounding Indigenous peoples’ experiences with abortion, we present qualitative findings from a pilot study investigating Indigenous experiences of accessing abortion services in Canada. We focus on findings related to participant recommendations for improving safety and accessibility of abortion services made by and for Indigenous people in Canada. Informed by an Indigenous Advisory Committee consisting of front-line service providers working in the area of abortion service access and/ or support across Canada, the research team applied an Indigenous methodology to engage with 15 Indigenous people across Canada utilising a conversational interview method, between September and November 2021. With representation from nine provinces and territories across Canada, participants identified with Anishinaabe, Cree, Dene, Haudenosaunee, Inuit, Métis and/ or Mi’kmaq Nations. Five cross-cutting recommendations emerged, including: (1) location, comfort, and having autonomy to choose where the abortion takes place; (2) holistic post-abortion supports; (3) accessibility, availability, and awareness of non-biased and non-judgemental information; (4) companionship, advocacy, and logistical help before and during the abortion from a support person; and (5) cultural safety and the incorporation of local practices and knowledges. Recommendations demonstrate that Indigenous people who have experienced an abortion carry practical solutions for removing barriers and improving access to abortion services in the Canadian context.

show abstract

“…12,21 The COVID-19 pandemic has also complicated abortion care in Canada and created additional challenges for some abortion seekers to navigate. 22 Although the federal government reaffirmed in March 2020 that abortion care is an essential medical service 23 temporary clinic closures and local, inter-provincial, and international travel restrictions impacted access to facility-based abortion services, particularly at later gestational ages. 24,25 Both the National Abortion Federation (NAF) Canada and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (Action Canada) operate hotlines that provide information, financial support, and travel assistance to people seeking abortion care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some abortion seekers also need financial support to cover the costs associated with the procedure or associated travel 12,21 . The COVID‐19 pandemic has also complicated abortion care in Canada and created additional challenges for some abortion seekers to navigate 22 . Although the federal government reaffirmed in March 2020 that abortion care is an essential medical service 23 temporary clinic closures and local, inter‐provincial, and international travel restrictions impacted access to facility‐based abortion services, particularly at later gestational ages 24,25…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking support for abortion care from national hotlines in Canada: Caller characteristics and call outcomes, 2019–2021

Demont,

Doctoroff,

Neron

et al. 2023

Perspect Sexual Reproductive

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectivesBoth the National Abortion Federation Canada and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights operate national toll‐free hotlines that provide information, financial support, and travel assistance to abortion seekers. We aimed to characterize callers to both hotlines before and after the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsHotline personnel routinely document information about callers and type(s) of assistance needed and received. We received call logs from both organizations for a two‐year period (April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2021). We exported these data to Microsoft Excel® and analyzed them using descriptive statistics. We analyzed case notes for content and themes.ResultsOver the study period, the two hotlines worked with 270 unique callers. Nearly two‐thirds of callers (n = 174) were seeking support to obtain abortion care for pregnancies after 14 weeks gestation, including 69 callers (26%) who were at or beyond 24 weeks gestation. Most callers were seeking support to obtain abortion care outside of their province of residence because services at their gestational age were not available. Caller needs were similar before and after the onset of the pandemic, but fewer traveled to the United States for abortion care in the COVID‐19 era.DiscussionAssistance hotlines play an important role in helping some abortion seekers navigate the Canadian health system to obtain needed abortion care. The needs of those seeking care after the 14 weeks gestation points to gaps in current service availability. Identifying ways to expand later abortion care in Canada, particularly after 24 weeks, appears warranted.

show abstract

“I just was really scared, because it's already such an uncertain time”: Exploring women's abortion experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

Abstract: I just was really scared, because it's already such an uncertain time": Exploring women's abortion experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Contraception (2022), doi:

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

Seeking abortion care in Ohio and Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic

Seeking abortion care in Ohio and Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic

“I would love for there not to be so many hoops … ”: recommendations to improve abortion service access and experiences made by Indigenous women and 2SLGTBQIA+ people in Canada

Seeking support for abortion care from national hotlines in Canada: Caller characteristics and call outcomes, 2019–2021

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About